After Imane Khelif’s quick fight against the Italian Angela Carini, the controversy over the legitimacy of the Algerian to compete in the women’s category exploded. Shameful, say the Algerians.
You are crazy, Elon Musk: you have provoked people who do not know how to reverse. The Algerians will make you crazier than you are! » On.
Since the global explosion of the controversy surrounding the Algerian pugilist after her fight on Thursday with the Italian Angela Carini, Algerian public opinion, on social networks or in the street (and within families), has is outraged by the global campaign led in particular by figures of the extreme right, in France and abroad, from Donald Trump to Giorgia Meloni (even though she is a “friend” of Algeria), without forgetting the Vice-President of the Council of the Italian government, Matteo Salvini.
In Algiers… no, in fact, throughout Algeria, people are all behind Imane Khelif. The hashtag “we stand behind Imane Khelif”, and the hashtag “win Imane Khelif” have become very viral,” testifies to an Algerian geek.
These same Westerners, who bombarded us with talk about the acceptance of gender identities, now want to expel him from the competition.
“Imane Khelif was born a girl and, like many women, she has hormonal problems, which she treats to regulate them. Westerners, always quick to advocate gender equality and to denounce homophobia, obviously cannot ignore it, jokes journalist Ghada Hamrouche. However, these same Westerners, who have bombarded us with talk about the acceptance of gender identities, now want to expel her from the competition after having deprived her of the gold medal at the world championship last year. This is unprecedented discrimination. This is true homophobia and nothing else.”
“If she had no chance of a medal, it would pass without problem, but a woman, who takes responsibility, and an Algerian one moreover, who can get on the podium can only provoke the hatred of the misogynists who hide behind the pretext of the fight against trans “propaganda”, when what’s more, it’s not even about that,” attests an Algerian editorialist.
The IOC defends the Algerian boxer
“Reply?” To what? To these baseless attacks when the International Olympic Committee [IOC], in its joint declaration with the unit in charge of boxing for the Paris Olympics, dotted the i’s so clearly? » reacts an official source in Algiers. According to the same source, the IOC expressed to Algerian sports officials its priority: “to protect the athlete”, and “to bring together all the writings and declarations harming the athlete which has been supported by all the world bodies of the Olympism “. “Complaints will be filed,” we assure in Algiers.
“What is positive is that the IOC, normally very stingy in taking positions, has issued this press release recalling the rules in these cases and citing Imane’s participation in the last world competitions, notably in Tokyo and the Olympic qualifiers in Dakar, observes an Algerian journalist. It should also be noted that the IOC has distanced itself from the IBA [International Boxing Association], run by the Russians with whom Algiers has spoken harshly. Moreover, the IOC has marginalized this structure for the qualifiers. Ultimately, the “Westerners” are targeting the wrong target. »
Her world title was already stolen from her in New Delhi, and now they want her to lose her Olympic medal? This means that this athlete, who has been preparing like crazy for months, will never deserve her victory. The ferocity of the campaign, which reached its heights with Elon Musk, Trump’s supporter, with a touch of assumed racism, provides information on the ideological trend of this campaign,” comments the author and journalist specializing in football Nazim Bessol. “As is often the case in international competitions, some circles do not look favorably on African athletes being recognized. All means are good, but with Imane, it goes beyond everything,” he adds.
“It’s unfair what’s happening to him.”
In this Algiers café, with an exclusively male clientele, this Thursday evening, eyes go from the cup of Algiers-style “tar” coffee to the television screens where continuous news channels in Arabic display the banners at the bottom of the screen on the elimination of Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh and the Imane Khelif affair. “This woman is our pride, I saw a report on [Algerian] TV which tells of her journey, from a very small town to world victories. It’s unfair what’s happening to him,” comments a retiree with calm indignation.
