IBA to award prize money to Italy's Carini despite loss to Algeria's Khelif
1. "I do not understand why they killed women's boxing," says IBA president
PARIS: The International Boxing Association (IBA) announced on Friday that it will award Italy's Angela Carini $50,000 in prize money after she lost her welterweight round-of-16 bout against Algeria's Imane Khelif at the Paris Olympics in just 46 seconds on Thursday.
Carini withdrew in the first round after the Algerian, who is at the center of a gender controversy, overwhelmed her with a series of punches.
The IBA, which was stripped of its international recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year, stated that Carini would receive $50,000, her federation an additional $25,000, and her coach $25,000 as well.
"I do not understand why they killed women's boxing," IBA President Umar Kremlev said. "Only eligible athletes should compete in the ring for the sake of safety. I could not look at her tears."
Algeria's Khelif, along with Taiwan's double world champion Lin Yu-ting, were cleared to compete in Paris despite being disqualified at the 2023 World Championships for failing IBA eligibility rules, which prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes from competing in women's events.
The IOC, which took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition after stripping the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body due to governance issues, now faces controversy over the participation of Khelif and Lin.
Welterweight Khelif's next opponent is Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori.
The IOC stated that the IBA's decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and has sparked backlash from notable figures such as British author J. K. Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk, who have voiced their opposition to the athletes competing in the Games.
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who met with IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday, said the Italian athlete faced a competitor with physical advantages, making it an unequal fight.
Some sports have set limits on testosterone levels for athletes competing in women's categories, while others ban anyone who has undergone male puberty.
Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones, and reproductive organs. Some individuals with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.
The IOC reiterated that the eligibility rules were based on those from the Tokyo Games in 2021 and could not be changed during an ongoing competition.
