Algerian boxer and Paris 2024 gold medallist Imane Khelif has condemned the International Boxing Association (IBA) after the organisation made fresh claims about her gender.
The IBA said on Monday it is to take legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the inclusion of Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting at last year's Games.
The two female boxers were excluded from the IBA's 2023 World Championships after claims they failed gender eligibility tests, but the IOC cleared them to fight and both went on to win gold medals in Paris.
The IOC organised the boxing last summer following the expulsion of the IBA from the Olympic movement after financial and ethical irregularities.
Neither Khelif nor Lin are transgender women. Both were born and raised as women, which is how they are registered on their passports.
The IBA said their decision to take legal action was motivated by US President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.
Khelif released a statement via her Instagram account late on Tuesday accusing the IBA of making “baseless accusations that are false and offensive” to “further their agenda”.
“For eight years, I have fought for my dream – eight years of sacrifice, discipline and perseverance to stand on the Olympic stage and represent my country with pride, and I will continue to stand firm in the face of any challenge,” the statement read.
“For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorised, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation. But silence is no longer an option.
“The International Boxing Association (IBA), an organisation that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda. This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.”
On Monday, the IBA said it is “filing an official complaint with the Attorney General of Switzerland ... regarding the IOC's actions”. The body added that it was filing similar complaints in France and the United States.
“President Trump's order to ban transgender athletes from women's sport validates IBA's efforts to protect the integrity of female sports,” claimed IBA president Umar Kremlev, a controversial figure with links to the Kremlin.
However, the IOC dismissed the IBA's position, telling AFP: “This IBA statement is just another example of IBA's campaign against the IOC which is continuing since their recognition was withdrawn by the IOC for issues related to governance, judging and refereeing as well as questions around their finances. The two female athletes mentioned by IBA are not transgender athletes.
“They were born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women's category for their entire boxing careers, including at previous international competitions such as the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, when both of them did not win a medal.
“They also competed in IBA World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments before they became victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA.
“Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023 they were disqualified, without any due process,” it added.
Mr Trump last week falsely called Khelif a male and signed an executive order banning transgender girls and women from competing in women's sports.
Surrounded by dozens of girls and women, many in sporting attire, Mr Trump gave examples of transgender women participating in women's sports including, wrongly, Khelif.
“And who could forget last year's Paris Olympics, where a male boxer stole the women's gold medal after brutalising his female opponent so viciously that she had to forfeit just after 46 seconds, and she was a championship fighter,” Mr Trump said during the ceremony.
He was referring to Khelif's first round win over Italy's Angela Carini. The Italian quit the bout after 46 seconds in tears, claiming that she had never been punched so hard in her career. She later apologised for her behaviour. According to Boxrec, Khelif has an amateur record of 46-9 with just seven wins by stoppage.
The incident led to a harassment campaign against her on social media involving a number of high-profile figures – including Mr Trump and the British author JK Rowling.
She received enormous backing, both in the stands in Paris and back home in Algeria, where she was later given a rapturous welcome on her return after defeating China's Yang Liu to top the podium.
The false claims did not stop there though, and last December Khelif said that any future efforts to question her gender would lead to legal action.
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Results
5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
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Dust storm
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The specs
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The specs
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Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Fourth-round clashes for British players
- Andy Murray (1) v Benoit Paire, Centre Court (not before 4pm)
- Johanna Konta (6) v Caroline Garcia (21), Court 1 (4pm)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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What are the main cyber security threats?
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Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
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On sale: now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
