Angela Carini Now “Wants to Apologise” to Imane Khelif
Italian Olympic boxer Angela Carini has stated that she wishes to apologise to Imane Khelif after walking out in the first minute of their bout during the Paris 2024 Games. Carini had decided to call the fight off after being struck twice by her Algerian opponent, who has been one of the biggest talking points over the summer.
Despite having competed in the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games, Khelif was banned by the International Boxing Association in 2023 after failing an ‘unspecified gender eligibility test.’ However, she has been allowed to compete in France after being cleared by the IOC. Now, Carini has revealed her regret over the controversy that has surrounded her opposite number following their showdown.
Carini Apologises to Khelif
The Italian also regrets not shaking hands after the fight
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, via the BBC, the 25-year-old expressed her regret over the aftermath of her elimination, stating that she did not want to upset Khelif with her actions and that she wished she had shaken hands with the Algerian:
“All this controversy makes me sad. I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.
“It wasn’t something I intended to do [not shake hands]. Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.
“It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment.”
Having advanced to the next round, Khelif will meet Hungarian athlete Anna Luca Hamori in the next round on Saturday.
IOC Issues Statement on Khelif
The International Olympic Committee defended their decision to allow the athlete to compete
Following the controversy surrounding the 25-year-old, the IOC were forced to release a statement, defending their decision to allow the boxer to compete as they reaffirmed their stance that there was no reason to ban her from doing so:
“Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination. All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.
The Olympic officials also criticised the IBA’s decision to ban both Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting for failing the eligibility tests.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process. The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years.”
The IOC officially replaced the IBA as the sports Olympic governing body, replacing it with the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit.
