Imane Khelif breaks her silence: “Harassment has enormous consequences”

to Imane Khelif would, without doubt, be one of the proper names of Olympic Games in Paris. The Algerian boxer, who is still in the fight for gold in the -66 kilo category, went from being unknown to the general public to seeing how he monopolized all the spotlights of the Games. Controversy surrounding her gender and her eligibility for the competition erupted after the fight with the Italian Angela Carini, He decides to leave the ring after 46 seconds.

From there, the noise. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Giorgia Meloni, are some of the politicians and personalities who have attacked him, even going so far as to claim that he is a trans person. News, debates and attacks on social networks in front of which the Algerian remained on the sidelines, focused on the competition. Until now. On the brink of their semi-final this Tuesday against Suwannapheng, Khelif He gave an interview to SNTV where he explained how he experienced everything that happened.

“I am sending a message to everyone in the world to respect the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, so they can avoid harassing athletes, because it has consequences, huge consequences. It can destroy people, divide them, confront them. And that’s why I’m asking you to refrain from doing it,” he said.

Khelif He wanted to make it clear that he came to Paris with the intention of fighting for a medal, something he has already done. He admitted that he suffered for his family. “I’m in contact with them two days a week. I hope they are not affected too much,” he said.

The boxer would also like to thank the support received from International Olympic Committeethat through its president Thomas Bach, wanted to settle the controversy from the first moment. “She is a woman,” Bach said at a press conference.

“I know that I was given justice by the Olympic Committee and I am happy because it shows the truth,” she said.