In the midst of the Olympic controversy, Imane Khelif’s father says, “Having Such a Daughter Is an Honor”

The father of the Alergian boxer also created a formal paper with Khelif’s date of birth and sexual orientation on it.

Speaking up about the controversy surrounding his daughter at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is Olympian fighter Imane Khelif’s father.

Amar Khelif, the boxer’s father, spoke candidly about his daughter’s love of boxing in an interview with Reuters on Saturday, August 3. He expressed his pride in her current winning run, which has ensured that she will at least take home a bronze.

“Having such a daughter is an honor because she is a champion, she honored me and I encourage her and I hope she will get the medal in Paris,” Amar stated to Reuters. “Imane is a little girl that has loved sport since she was six-years-old.”

Khelif’s father provided an official-looking certificate with her birthday and sexual orientation when chatting with the source. “This is the official family record for Imane Khelif, a female, dated May 2, 1999. This document doesn’t lie; it’s written here for you to read,” he remarked.

Following her battle on Thursday, August 1, against Italian boxer Angela Carini, who withdrew due to a serious nose injury, Khelif became embroiled in a gender-based scandal.

After the fight, the Algerian boxer’s detractors claimed that she shouldn’t have participated in the Olympics since the International Boxing Association (IBA) had disqualified her from the 2023 boxing world championship for failing an unclear gender eligibility test. This was reported by the Associated Press.

According to ESPN, the IBA stated at the time that Khelif’s testosterone levels were elevated by the eligibility test results; however, other boxing officials contended that the test results lacked transparency, and the IBA was later suspended from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over corruption-related charges.

Since then, the IOC has reiterated that Khelif is permitted to compete in the games. According to the Associated Press, “Khelif was assigned female at birth and it says so on her passport, which is the International Olympic Committee’s threshold for eligibility for boxing.”

Khelif has previously stated that her family has influenced her boxing career and has been open about how close they are. She talked on Sunday, August 4, about keeping in touch with them while she is participating in Paris for the Olympics in an interview with SNTV, an Associated Press sports video partner.

“My family and I communicate twice a week. Recognizing her current controversy, the fighter stated, “I hope that they weren’t affected deeply.” “They’re concerned for me. She continued, saying, “God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response,” as reported by the Associated Press. She also expressed her gratitude to the Olympic Committee for providing her “justice.”

On Tuesday, August 6, Khelif will play Thai competitor Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semifinals.