Female boxer yells ‘This is unjust’ after having to fight a biological male at the Paris Olympics

By Hermoine Macura-Noble
Special to The Times Kuwait

In a dramatic and emotional turn of events at the Paris Olympics, a boxer deemed a ‘biological male’ today won against a female Italian boxer in one of the most controversial Olympic bouts ever. Viewers and fans were horrified to watch the 46-second fight between Italy’s Angela Carini and her Algerian Opponent Imane Khelif – a biological male qualifying as a ‘woman’ at the Paris Olympics. The 25-year-old Carini refused to shake the hand of her opponent and threw her headgear on the floor as she yelled ‘This is unjust’ in tears while also suffering what appears to be a broken nose.

“It hurt so much. I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honor my father,” said Carini. “I was often told that I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this,” said Carini to the press.

Boxing experts say it is dangerous for biological men to participate in women’s combat sports as it can be unfair and harmful. “The male hormone testosterone plays an important role in developing and maintaining typical masculine characteristics, such as muscle mass and strength…this is way beyond what can be achieved by strength training for a biological female. Usually in combat sports, even if male fighters have any elevated testosterone readings or traces of any performance enhancing substances they are banned immediately,” shares British Muaythai Boxing Champion and UAE-based boxing trainer Daniel Costello.

According to the International Boxing Association, Khelif was banned from a significant boxing contest in New Delhi after failing the requirements due to elevated testosterone levels and a gender test showing Khelif had XY chromosomes, which are found in all biological males, and not XX chromosomes, which are found in biological females. Khelif and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan were disqualified, and Lin’s bronze medal was also taken away as she had also failed IBA-mandated biochemical tests.

Khelif and Yu-ting were only granted permission to participate in the women’s boxing event in Paris as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) oversees the boxing matches at the Olympics rather than the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IOC spokesperson Mark Adams defended its decision earlier this week: “I would just say that everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports, and it is stated that this is the case.”

Some online reports suggest that Khelif was born as a female but has a disorder of sex development (DSD), which may give her XY chromosomes and testosterone levels similar to a male athlete. However, these claims have not been verified.

Italy’s Minister for Equal Opportunities and Family, Eugenia Roccella expressed her shock that there are no specific, strict, uniform criteria at the international level regarding women’s sports. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who was visiting Italian athletes in the Olympic Village on Thursday, also criticized Carini for having to box Khelif, saying she had since 2021 opposed allowing athletes with “genetically male” characteristics to compete against women.

The IBA, which is not involved in the organization of the Olympics, released a statement questioning why trans women have been allowed to compete in Paris. It added that the trans women had been banned from the world championships in the interest of fairness and safety. The IBA has eligibility rules, which include testosterone levels and a sex test, whereas the IOC accepts the gender shown in each athlete’s passport.

The decision has sparked a heated debate on the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports and the balance between fairness and inclusivity, with other sporting sectors already moving to update gender rules. Over the past three years, the World Aquatics, World Athletics, and the International Cycling Union have updated their gender rules accordingly. Last year, the track body tightened rules on transgender men competing in women’s sports.

Supporters argue that transgender women should be allowed to compete by their gender identity, promoting inclusivity and equality. Critics, on the other hand, say that significant biological differences such as muscular strength and more prominent bone structure give transgender people an unfair advantage and can compromise the safety of female athletes as seen in many competitions where these factors have been overlooked.

Many critics and leading personalities, such as International Bestselling Author J.K. Rowling, have also spoken out on the unfair match.“The smirk of a male who knows he is protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of seeing a woman he just punched in the head and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered,” commented Rowling on social media after witnessing the 46-second travesty.

This incident at the Paris Olympics may serve as a turning point in the ongoing discussion about the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports. Many critics suggest that transgender people should have their own category at the Olympics and in other sports.

Another athlete who preferred to remain anonymous said, “Competing at the Olympics has been my dream since I was a little girl. But I cannot, in good conscience, enter a competition against a biological male. It’s not about fear; it’s about fairness and safety.”

The Paris Olympics is facing a lot of criticism and controversy following its controversial opening ceremony, where it faced global backlash for mocking Christianity with a highly offensive parody of Jesus Christ as well as allowing inappropriately dressed transgender men to perform in the opening ceremony in front of children calling it “art.” The backlash has led to global boycotts and several brands removing their sponsorship from the highly anticipated global event, which usually unites the world in a spirit of sportsmanship and respect.

By Hermoine Macura-Noble
The first Australian English speaking News Anchor in the Middle East. She is also the Author of Faces of the Middle East and Founder of US-based 501c3 charity – The House of Rest which helps to ease the suffering of victims of war. For more from our Contributing Editor, you can follow her on Instagram, here.