EDDIE HEARN has revealed he’s open to adding Imane Khelif to his Matchroom stable.
The Algerian boxed her way to welterweight gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics earlier this month, although her participation at the Games was mired in controversy.
Khelif, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, allegedly failed a gender identity test conducted by the IBA in March 2023 – testing positive for male XY chromosomes.
The Russian-backed organisation has refused to divulge the results of the test and put an end to the furore surrounding 25-year-old Khelif, who was born a biological female.
Khelif will now be mulling over the possibility of turning pro, a journey Hearn is willing to facilitate – on one condition.
When asked if he’d sign the Olympian, he told iFL TV: “Yes, if the facts were laid out.
READ MORE ON IMANE KHELIF
“If it was in a position where there is no reason why this individual shouldn’t compete as a female.
“One, she is a talented fighter.
“Two, commercially I think she has up to two Instagram million followers so the answer is yes.
“There are probably facts that we don’t know around the situation and if they are true.
Most read in Boxing
“If a fighter was deemed female with no physical advantages – again I haven’t seen anything, I have only seen people say ‘they have done this test’.
“Do we get to see it? Are we just going to believe that narrative?
“It’s not ever one that I’d go I’m not getting involved in this conversation.”
Khelif was subjected to several libellous claims – some of which she plans to take to court – on social media after Italian Angela Carini quit their bout after a mere 46 seconds.
Hearn said of the situation in Paris: “If there is an unfair physical advantage that the individual has, that is what has to be looked at.
“But not by a rival organisation, or someone with an agenda. But if you are born a female and lived your whole life as a female it’s different.
“I’m not going to say what is right or wrong, but the facts that I have seen lean me towards you have the right to compete as a female.
“So I don’t know. But also I will say this individual has competed on the circuit for years. It’s not like she’s dominated the scene, she’s lost many times.
“Other fighters came out and said, ‘I’ve sparred her or beat her.’ I feel like the Italian was a put-up job.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“Because it wasn’t even really a huge shot, and this person has sparred her before.
“But we need more information about it and a conversation about it.”
Olympics gender controversy
THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) stirred up a huge controversy by clearing two women to box who had previously failed a gender test.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified at the Women’s World Championships in New Delhi, India, in March 2023.
Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal after failing a gender eligibility test.
Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.
Officials found tests showed they had ‘XY chromosomes’ — which indicates a person is biologically male.
Rare ‘intersex’ medical conditions, medically known as differences in sexual development (DSDs), can also mean outwardly female individuals can have ‘male’ chromosomes, or vice versa.
The Russia-led International Boxing Association organised that event but is no longer recognised by the IOC.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived – they competed in Tokyo.
“The federation needs to make the rules to make sure that there is fairness but at the same time there is the ability for everyone to take part that wants to. That is a difficult balance.
“In the end the experts for each sport are the people who work in that. If there is a big advantage that clearly is not acceptable, but that needs to be a decision made at that level.”
Both Khelif and Lin competed at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.
The IOC said all boxers in Paris “comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations”.
The controversy follows the famous case of Caster Semenya.
South African middle-distance runner Semenya has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than normal for women.
She won gold in the 800m at London 2012 and Rio in 2016 but was unable to compete at Tokyo in 2021 after World Athletics brought in new rules independently of the IOC at the time.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
