Beyond gold: Khelif’s olympic journey sparks larger conversation on gender identity
FRANCE-Imane Khelif undoubtedly intended all attention to be directed at her in-ring prowess as she embarked on her Olympic trip. It seems like wishful thinking now.
Can Khelif’s story spark lasting change?
Misconceptions regarding Khelif’s gender and whether she should be allowed to compete in women’s boxing at all have cast a cloud over what should have been one of the best days of her life fighting for an Olympic gold medal. After the Algerian’s first opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew from their 66kg match after 46 seconds, the hate speech directed at her began. Two crushing strikes to the nose that would have made any fighter’s eyes swim were delivered to the Italian. Following the formal decision, Carini was sobbing while speaking with the media and declined to shake hands. Carini made oblique remarks, while Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of her nation, made devastatingly plain remarks, calling the fight “not on an equal footing” and hinting that Khelif shouldn’t be allowed to compete because she is a woman. The harm was done even though Carini would later claim to have accepted the IOC’s decision to let Khelif compete in the Olympics and to have apologized to her. Khelif has been the subject of intensive scrutiny over her gender for the majority of the days that have passed. She has shown birth papers and passports that attest to her gender at birth. Still, it’s insufficient for some. Khelif has an edge due to her physical characteristics, there’s no denying that, but why should her biology and genetics be punished? With ten losses in fifty matches, her amateur boxing record is impressive but not imperial. After being disqualified, Khelif’s four victories in the 2023 IBA World Championships were eventually ruled to be no contests; however, more on that in a moment.
What’s next for gender equality in sports?
Testosterone levels are the primary eligibility criteria for Olympic events when the sport’s governing body has drafted and accepted rules, not XY chromosomes, which is the pattern generally observed in males. This is due to the fact that some women who identify as women despite being allocated to the female XY chromosome at birth have disorders known as variations of sex development, or DSD, which include natural testosterone levels that are greater than those of typical females. Although the science is equivocal, some sports administrators claim that this provides them an unfair edge over other women in sports. After puberty, testosterone, a naturally occurring hormone, enhances the bulk and strength of bone and muscle. When compared to women, the normal adult male range is many times greater, reaching up to around 30 nanomoles per liter of blood, whereas the typical female range is less than 2 nmol/L. The governing body of track and field contended that athletes with DSD issues were “biologically male” in a 2019 Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing.
Will Khelif’s journey pave the way for others?
According to thenationalnews, The IOC regulates women’s boxing in Paris, and one of the requirements is that the boxer’s passport must include a female gender marker. The International Boxing Association (IBA), which oversees international boxing, has different rules. As a result of decades of problematic administration and transparency, the IBA has been permanently barred from the Games. Due to eligibility concerns, Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, a fellow gold medal candidate, were prohibited from competing at the IBA World Championships in 2017. Following an unidentified test that “conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors,” the IBA declared that Khelif and Lin were disqualified. As per arabnews, In regards to whether the tests detected testosterone, the IBA has contradicted itself several times. The most well-known instance concerning a female athlete’s eligibility is the one involving South African runner Caster Semenya, who shot to fame on the track as an 18-year-old world championship gold medallist. Semenya, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic 800-meter champion, is not competing in Paris because, according to the rules, she cannot compete there until she surgically lowers her testosterone levels. However, she is still embroiled in a seven-year-old legal challenge to track and field’s regulations.
Call to action: Boycott Pairs olympics 2024
Misbehavior towards players in olympics events is so common now but nobody is taking action about it. Players are unhappy due to these issues. Pairs is a beautiful city but due to improper arrangements for fans make it unbearable. Unhygienic food is causing bad health for players. So this event should be boycotted.
