Imane Khelif
Imane Khelif

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif stayed in the spotlight throughout the Paris Olympics 2024 campaign. Many labeled Khelif as a biological guy, yet she went on to win gold in the women’s 66kg category despite her eligibility for the competition being called into question. Months after the Paris Games ended, a new scandal developed when a leaked medical report revealed that Khelif was, in fact, a man. Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian cricketer, reacted to the report by tagging the Olympics on social media and demanding they return the Algerian’s gold medal.

According to the leaked medal report, which French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia obtained, the Algerian boxer has internal testicles and XY chromosomes. According to the paper, the condition indicates an ailment known as 5-alpha reductase insufficiency.

Experts from the Kremlin-Bicetre Hospital in Paris and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine Hospital in Algiers are alleged to have written the study in June 2023. The detailed report thoroughly describes Khelif’s biological characteristics, such as the presence of internal testicles and the absence of a uterus. According to Redux, an MRI result also indicated the presence of a micropenis.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) barred Khelif from competing in the World Championship Gold Medal match in New Delhi in 2023. US presidential candidate Donald Trump utilized Khelif’s example in an ad campaign against the Biden-Harris administration’s gender-ad sports policy, seeking to strengthen his argument by making the matter an election issue.