PARIS – As the Olympic Games progress, large crowds of women have gathered to support Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who is currently facing online harassment due to misunderstandings regarding her gender. Hours before Khelif was set to compete for a gold medal in the women’s welterweight category on Friday evening, women arrived at Roland Garros wrapped in Algerian flags. Many had little interest in boxing, but they shared a singular goal: to support the 25-year-old boxer, who has found herself at the center of a global debate on gender identity and sports.
“I am super happy that she has made it this far, and I am here to support her because she needs it, and she needs women to stand by her,” said Sarah Dayan, while sitting on a bench with miniature Algerian flags draped around her.
Khelif and her colleague Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan have been under intense pressure and scrutiny since they were disqualified from the World Championships last year. The International Boxing Association (AIBA), which oversees Olympic boxing, claimed that the two boxers did not pass unspecified qualification tests for women’s competition. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has criticized the arbitrary gender tests that the responsible boxing association imposed on both boxers, which were flawed and have since the onset of the Olympics defended both competitors.
This situation reflects the historical mishandling of female athletes of color, who have suffered from disproportionate criticism and discrimination linked to gender tests and false claims alleging they are men or transgender. “People are so afraid of strong women,” Dayan remarked, who did not know Khelif before the Olympics but followed the controversy surrounding her online. “People are so afraid of strong women of color. And I think it’s so beautiful that she is here, that she is fighting, and that she wants to win.”
Khelif is on the verge of winning either a gold or silver medal as she faces Yang Liu from China in the finals on Friday evening. Keep updated with the latest results from day 14 of the Olympic Games in Paris:
Khelif has not lost a round on the judges’ scorecards in her first three matches in Paris and has had a dominant path in her boxing career. Her first opponent, Angela Carini from Italy, withdrew after just 46 seconds, unable to withstand Khelif’s punches. Lisa Belabed, a Paris resident with Algerian roots, describes Khelif as a source of inspiration. “Just a week ago, I knew nothing about boxing,” said Belabed, wearing a white t-shirt with the boxer’s face on it. “But I am here because of what happened to Imane Khelif. I think what happened to her – the massive media coverage – is really unfair and unjustified. I believe she has been used as a pawn in a political context, while she is just trying to compete.”
The only thing that brought Belabed to the Olympic Games in Paris are Khelif’s matches. She watched Khelif defeat Janjaem Suwannapheng from Thailand with a score of 5-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday and returned for the finals to support another Algerian woman. “I believe what happened to her is both sexist and racist,” said Belabed. “My parents are from Algeria, and I grew up in France. I think Algerian women and people from the North African diaspora are used to being told that we do not fit into European beauty standards. So what happened to her is quite relatable, even though it occurred on a grand scale.”