Imane Khelif’s next Olympics opponent breaks rank with verdict on boxer at heart of row | Other | Sport
Luca Hamori insists she is not scared of Imane Khelif and has questioned Angela Carini for ‘giving up’ in her fight with the Algerian boxer.
Khelif, who was born female and is competing in the women’s 66kg boxing event in Paris, has previously been disqualified from the World Championships for possessing “elevated” levels of testosterone.
But having been allowed to take part in the Olympics, the 25-year-old’s brutal punch in the face of Carini prompted her Italian rival to withdraw just 46 seconds into their first-round fight. Carini, who was clearly hurt and stunned by the blow, claimed it was the hardest punch she had ever faced.
Khelif’s presence at the Olympics has caused widespread debate. Last year, she failed a sex test set by the International Boxing Association Association which claimed her “elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria”, and she was subsequently pulled from the World Championships.
A transgender boxer taking part in the Olympics has claimed Khelif should be taken out of the event. However, upcoming opponent Hamori has questioned Carini for ‘giving up’ and insists she wants to beat Khelif – who has lost nine fights during her career.
Hamori said: “I’m not scared. If she or he is a man, it will be a bigger victory for me if I win. So let’s do it. I can’t wait for that fight. In my club at home I have only guys and male team-mates. It’s not new for me.
“It was Carini’s choice [to give up]. I don’t understand because I thought every boxer’s mind is the same like mine. Never give up. I know I won’t do this ever in my whole life.”
She added: “I know her [Khelif] from other competitions but we didn’t have any sparring or fight before.
“I don’t care about the stories, what is going on the social media right now. I just want to stay focused on myself and I know why I came here. I want to get a medal from the Olympic Games. I will go to the ring and I will get my win. I trust myself so I think I can win.”
After Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified from the World Championships last year, Umar Kremlev, the president of the IBA — which has not been recognised by the IOC since 2019 — told the TASS news agency they had XY chromosomes, which are mostly found in men. However, Kremlev’s claim has never been proven.
Carini said after facing Khelif: “I’m a mature woman. The ring is my life. I’ve always been very instinctive. And when I feel that something isn’t right, it’s not giving up. It’s having the maturity to stop.
“It’s having the maturity to say: ‘OK, that’s enough’. Regardless of everything it’s OK, fine like this. I didn’t lose tonight … I only did my job as a fighter. I got in the ring and I fought. I didn’t make it. I’m coming out with my head held high and with a broken heart.”
