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A boxer embroiled in a gender controversy at the Olympics eased into the quarterfinals on Friday as other fighters and public figures weighed in on the furor.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting defeated Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova by unanimous points in her opening match of the women’s 57kg category in Paris.
Lin Dan, 28, was locked in a political battle with fellow boxer Imani Khelif over eligibility on Thursday after the Algerian defeated her Italian opponent in just 46 seconds.
Both Khalif and Lin are undisputed candidates for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
They were disqualified from participating in the 2023 World Championships to be held by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in New Delhi as they failed to meet the “qualification criteria”.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given the go-ahead for boxers to compete in the French capital, sparking an uproar.
Due to financial, ethical and management issues, the International Olympic Committee stripped the AIBA of its responsibility to organize the boxing event at the Paris Olympics.
Lin defeated Turdibekova with skill rather than power, using her fists to attack her opponent and dodging attempts by the Uzbekistani to turn the fight into a close-quarters brawl.
After the victory, she avoided talking to the media, although her coach, Tsang Tze-keung, stopped by briefly.
“That’s the nature of this sport. We respect the referees and all the rules,” he said, adding that Lin was “a little nervous in the first game. Regardless, we just enjoyed the game.”
– Italian man beaten up says ‘sorry’ –
Italian boxer Angela Carini, who was beaten black and blue by Khalif and broke down in tears, told Italian media on Friday that she felt sorry for Khalif.
“All this controversy makes me sad and I feel sad for my opponent. It has nothing to do with her. She is here to fight like me,” Carini told Gazzetta dello Sport.
At the end of the one-sided 66kg bout, Kalini ignored Khalif’s attempts to shake her hand but told reporters: “I didn’t mean to do that and I apologise to her and everyone.
“I am angry because my Olympics are ruined, but I don’t have any hatred towards Iman Khalif. On the contrary, if I see her again, I will give her a hug.”
Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori, who will face Khalif on Saturday, initially struck a conciliatory tone but wrote on Facebook on Friday: “In my humble opinion, I think it is unfair to allow this fighter to compete in the women’s division.”
But Tunisian coach Samir Khelifi, speaking after his boxer Kloud Hlemi lost a Lin-level fight, called the AIBA’s decision to disqualify Hleif last year “political.”
“I’ve known that boxer for a long time,” he said of the Algerian. “I’ve known her since she was a little girl, but now it’s a question mark.”
“The IOC treated her fairly and allowed her to compete.”
– Hot Issues –
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the committee’s eligibility criteria were based on the gender on a boxer’s passport, but he acknowledged the issue was not “black and white”.
The fight quickly became a hot topic outside the boxing ring, with politicians and celebrities also weighing in.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meroni said the fight between Khalif and Carini was “not equal” as the Italian boxer Carini suffered a serious nose injury and was in tears.
US presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would “ban men from women’s sports”, while his running mate JD Vance described Thursday’s fight as “grown men beating women in a boxing match”.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling said on X (formerly Twitter) that the Paris Olympics “will forever be tainted by the cruel injustice suffered by Carini”.
However, Ireland’s former world champion Amy Broadhurst, who beat Khalif in the title fight two years ago, defended her on social media and called on people to “stop the bullying”.
“I personally don’t think she (Khalif) has ever done anything ‘cheating’,” Broadhurst wrote on X. “I think it’s an innate trait in her that she can’t control.”
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