‘Unfair competition’

The match between Italian boxer Angela Carini and Algerian boxer Imane Khalif ended shortly after the start of the first round. The Italian gave up the most watched 66 kg boxing match in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Less than a minute laterThe Algerian threw the first punch. Then the Italian athlete burst into tears and knelt down in despair in the ring of the Paris Nord Arena. Carini bid farewell to the Olympic round of 16, while Khelaif advanced to the quarterfinals.

Yesterday all day Italy’s right wing stirs controversy, Questioning Iman Khalif’s genderthinks Italian athletes should have Confronting the “transgender boxer”so the meeting was inherently unequal, and the blame had to be placed on “awakening ideology.” The Roccella minister even spoke of “men who identify with women.”

The controversy stems from the fact that the Algerian boxer was unable to compete in the World Championships a year ago due to the following reasons: High testosterone levelsbased on the entry standards for the women’s category of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the professional boxing reference association. Khalif is European Cabbagemeaning it produces more testosterone than normal in a woman’s body. After the news of her disqualification from the World Championships came out, the Algerian boxer herself said in an interview that she had high testosterone levels since birth.

However, the IOC granted permission this year after all the necessary checks, thus denying all allegations of discrimination against the athlete. “Everything that was reported is just rumors, information about women who have been discriminated against in the past. This is not a transgender issue: unfortunately, there is false information, they are women who have competed for many years, they are not transgender,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams, reiterating that Imane Khelifa and Lin Yuting – although not explicitly mentioned – were disqualified at last year’s world championships but were admitted to Paris and have every right to compete in Olympic boxing.

Adams added: “We are talking about these people who have participated in national and international championships and other competitions, and they were selected because they had all the qualifications,” and stressed that “testosterone is not a good indicator because some women have high testosterone levels. These are situations that exist and we need to work to find an acceptable and fair solution for everyone. We don’t want to go back to the dark days of genetic testing to determine gender. I don’t think this is a favorable practice for both male and female athletes.”

After the match was interrupted due to the Italians’ self-destruction, the Prime Minister also intervened Georgia MeloniArriving in Paris, he reiterated the position expressed by the Italian government and other representatives of its majority: “I did not agree with the choice for 2021 and I do not agree today, I thank Angela Carini for her fight, even if it was not us who managed to see it, we only saw small flashes…”.

“She withdrew”, the journalist of Casa Italia pointed out to her. “I am more sorry that yesterday when he wrote ‘I will fight’ I was excited because in these things, of course, dedication, brains and character are also important. But it is also important to be able to compete under equal conditions. In my opinion, it was not a close match”. However, the Algerian team yesterday rejected a false and offensive reconstruction.

The prime minister added: “In fact, given the levels of testosterone present in the blood of Algerian athletes, the competition did not seem fair at first – there are also aspects related to safety. I also think that we have to be careful not to discriminate. For many years I have tried to explain some extreme views. I think athletes with male genetic characteristics should not be allowed to compete in female competitions. But not because they want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to compete on an equal footing.”

Matteo Salvini’s comments

“‘He hit too hard, it’s not right.’” Well done, Angela, you did a great job! Our athlete had to retire from the match against Iman Khalif, in tears after so many sacrifices had gone to waste. A truly un-Olympic scene: shame on the bureaucrats who allowed a clearly unequal match. Except for the absent-minded commentators on Rai, everyone in Italy and around the world noticed it. Hugs Angela, keep going!”, was the comment of X, Vice-President of the Council and Minister of Infrastructure, Matteo Salvini.

“Feminists were silent about the scandal of the unequal boxing match between Carini and Khalif. Now, they are also silent about our Italian athletes kneeling and crying in the boxing ring after choosing not to face a shameful match with a super hermaphrodite. The boxer’s painful resignation was not because the Algerian threw the first punch, but because of having to give up the Olympic competition after years of hard training, preparation and sacrifice. Angela is the victim of an absurd ideology that goes against morality. “For the sake of sport and women’s rights, we once again give our full support” wrote the League senators in a note. Gianluca Cantalamessa.

Ignazio La Russa invites Angela Carini to the Senate

“Angela’s inconsolable crying shocked us all, but her exit was in her honor. I will be waiting for her in the Senate to hug her,” the Senate President wrote in a message on X. Ignazio La Russa.

The president of the Italian Brotherhood’s Sports Committee once again made comments Federico Morricone: “In the ring between Carini and Khelif, there is no Olympic spirit, only awakening ideology. The muscular superiority of Algerian athletes is demonstrated, as countless testimonies show. Italian athletes withdrew well. We want to defend the Olympic spirit by officially protesting to CONI”.

Also involved in this matter Deputy Attorney General Del Mastro: “Everything is as expected: Angela Carini is forced to surrender and give up her ring in the face of the biological injustice she suffers. The Taliban of gender ideology opens its eyes: gender Talibanism is the root of biological discrimination against women. What an indecent spectacle.” The deafening silence of the feminist galaxy is sad, always ready to trigger violations of rights, when the gender shock overwhelms all women’s rights, solidarity, no ifs or buts, for Angela Carini, she is a victim of biological injustice disguised as modernity. We read in the notes.

Minister Roccella expresses solidarity with Carini

“We express our solidarity with Angela Carlini, a victim of an ideology that affects her and all women with her. Today is a black page for women, a black page for sport and a black page for the truth. This morning many were once again confronted with this fact. The Minister of Family Affairs wrote on Facebook, trying to cover it up by claiming that Iman Khalif “will always be a woman” because she is “intersex.” Eugenia Roccella.

He then added: “It would also be good to clarify this: the person who today unjustly won a match that has nothing to do with sports is a person with male chromosomes, with a male body and physical qualities. Intersex people, who are born with the ambiguity of male chromosomal sex characteristics, are “assigned” to the female sex using various criteria, including the fact that, if necessary, it is easier to reconstruct the female reproductive system than the male to register it to the female sex, so that a boxing match can be held between men and women. “Men and women are equal, and we can only hope, the minister concluded, that the tears that filled Angela Carlini’s eyes after the first blow will help other female athletes and clarify the thoughts of those who still pretend not to see the “ideology that threatens to subject women and our entire society to new forms of injustice”.

Opposition defends Khalif

“We are talking about an Algerian athlete who is not transgender. It happens that there are people, even women, with high testosterone concentrations. They want to politicize a fact that should not be politicized… I always find the following element: Salvini must always politicize everything, but then Salvini is hurt”, said Green Europe co-spokesperson and Afs MP, Angelo BonelliThe Italian left leader and Avs member also spoke on the topic, Nicola Fratoani: “If Salvini were to set train and plane timetables for Italians now, I think it would be more important.”

“Imane is a woman with hormonal dysfunction, not transgender, as the worst right has been repeating for days with some likes. Imane is a woman who underwent all the medical tests before competing in the women’s category at the Olympics, passed but above all, if Imane Khalif was really transgender, she would be persecuted and punished in her country, where being transgender is a crime. We really feel sorry for Angela Carlini, as Italians we support her, but anti-gay fake news is far more harmful to thousands of people around the world, and the repetition of them by government representatives undermines common sense and civilization”, declared the secretary of Più Europa. Ricardo Maggi.

Coach Carini: “Withdrawal was not premeditated”

“It would have been easier if she had not shown up, because for days all of Italy had been asking her not to fight. But Angela was motivated and wanted to do it. Of course, at the draw, when she met her opponent, she told me “this is not right”, but today there was no premeditation here”, said Italian boxing coach Emanuele Renzini, describing the match. Carini left “after taking a punch, she told me she didn’t want to fight and didn’t want to fight. I tried to tell her to at least fight until the end of the first round so we could face each other, but nothing”.

“Enough, I’m retiring because my nose hurts too much”: Like this Italians recount final moments of battle with the Algerian Khalif. “I am heartbroken – she added – because I am a fighter, my father taught me to be a fighter, I always entered the ring, I always honored my country with loyalty. This time I did not succeed, because I could no longer continue to fight, so I ended it.”

“All the controversy – she says, still in tears – has not stopped me or hindered me mentally. I enter the ring to give my all, no matter who is in front of me. Regardless of all the controversy, I want to keep going and win.”