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Italian boxer, Angela Carini, says “I’ve NEVER taken a punch like that before” after deciding to abandon her match against Algerian Imane Khelif after just 46 seconds, sparking a conversation around gender exclusion in boxing.

Carini broke down in tears after conceding to Khelif, who is one of two boxers permitted to fight at the Olympics despite being disqualified from the women’s world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests.

Khelif’s involvement in the Olympics has been in the spotlight as testing allegedly proved she had XY chromosomes, which experts say pose huge risks to safety and fairness in female boxing.

Despite the uproar, Khelif told the BBC: “I am here for gold. I will fight anybody, I will fight them all.”

In tense scenes at the North Paris Arena, Khelif’s first blow loosened Carini’s chinstrap, while a second slammed against her chin, splashing blood down her shorts. After several more punches, Carini retreated to her corner and raised her hand. She collapsed to her knees in tears and refused to shake Khelif’s hand when the Algerian was pronounced the winner.

“I am heartbroken,” Carini said. “I went to the ring to honour my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.”

Carini says she did not find it her place or relevant to comment on whether or not Khelif should have been allowed to fight, but that did not stop several other boxers from wading into the controversy. Even Elon Musk and JK Rowling had something to say about the match, but frankly, they should rather stay in their space and wizardry lanes.

Absolutely https://t.co/twccUEOW9e

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2024

Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, weighed in, saying: “I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions … from my point of view it was not an even contest.”

Ross Tucker, Sports Scientist and Host of the Science of Sport podcast reckons this could be the biggest controversy we have ever seen in sport and argues that gender risks are not the same for every sport, but it affects fairness regardless.

“It is a mess what is going on.”

“Inclusion, and fairness and safety do not coexist. Sport has to prioritize one.”

Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, also weighed in.

“I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions … from my point of view it was not an even contest.”

Before the fight, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced criticism for allowing Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan to participate in the women’s division at these Games.

Lin will meet Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova in a featherweight contest in Paris on Friday. This will likely be the most watched boxing match of the Games.

[source:guardian&capetalk]