Marcus Chan
Imane Khelif’s next opponent has broken her silence amid the ongoing boxing gender controversy.
On Thursday afternoon, Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned her bout against Khelif after just 46 seconds.
The participation of Khelif at the Paris Olympics has caused some controversies. The Algerian was disqualified from the World Championships last year after failing gender eligibility tests.
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However, she was cleared by the Paris Boxing Unit to participate in the Olympics.
Speaking after the fight, Carini said: “I put an end to the match because after the second blow, after years of experience in the ring and a life of fighting, I felt a strong pain in my nose.
“I said 'that's enough' because... I could not bring the match to an end. So I thought, maybe it's better to put an end to the match.”
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Khelif is set to take on Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori in the next round on Saturday.
Ahead of the fight, Hamori spoke about the prospect of getting in the ring with Khelif.
She said, as per the New York Post: “I’m not scared. I don’t care about the press story and social media.”
Hamori also spoke about Carini’s decision to stop the fight. She said: “It was her choice.
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“I don’t understand, because I thought every boxer’s mind is the same like mine, to never give up. But it was her choice. We don’t know what was the reason. It’s her life, but I know I want to do this in my own life.”
Boxing expert Steve Bunce said to the BBC: “I think it has hurt Olympic boxing at a crucial time where its future is still being discussed. It's an absolute disaster. What's interesting is in the build up to the fight, some of her old opponents, good fighters, world champions and European champions, have said [Khelif] is not a cheat.
“She's not a devastating puncher, that is only her fifth stoppage. Carini, I feel for her absolutely, but you have to feel a little bit for Khelif, she's stuck in the middle of something here that's absolutely devastating and it's not over yet.”