'Are you really a woman?' → 'I am not transgender': The controversial gold medalist makes a surprise pro debut after two years... Aiming for the 'World Champion' title

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Imane Khelif (27, Algeria), who stood at the center of the gender controversy and won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is set to make a sudden debut on the professional boxing stage after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. Khelif has decided to step onto an official ring for the first time since the Paris Olympics, with the goal of winning the world championship belt.

The British media outlet 'Daily Mail' reported on the 7th (Korean time), "Olympic gender controversy boxer Khelif will debut as a professional boxer in December, aiming to win a world title," adding, "Khelif will face 21-year-old female boxer Clarissa Sarabia in Paris, France, two and a half years after being embroiled in the gender controversy in the same city."

Khelif won the gold medal in the women's 66kg final at the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating Yang Liu (China) with a 5-0 decision victory.

However, she was mired in fierce fairness disputes throughout the tournament. This is because Khelif had previously been disqualified after testing positive for male chromosomes (XY) and high testosterone levels in a DNA gender test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023. Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved her participation, allowing her to reach the top of the Olympics, she sparked intense controversy amid criticism that she had benefited from biological male hormone advantages and concerns about the potential abolition of boxing as an Olympic sport.

Khelif, who had been away from competitive rings for more than two years since the Paris Olympics, officially announced her return by declaring a switch to professional boxing. Khelif stated, "It has been over two years since I last boxed. I really missed being on the ring. The past two years have been quite difficult," adding, "It is time to turn pro now, and I will pour everything into it."

She continued, "Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. I waited and doubted, but the fire inside me never went out. I have been fighting constantly behind closed doors," adding, "This fight was never just mine. It was a fight for everyone who did not fear existing and everyone who refused to give up."

According to the 'Daily Mail,' Khelif's coach Kamel Abdel-Salam even expressed confidence, saying, "Khelif will be able to challenge for a world title within 3 to 5 fights on the professional stage."

Khelif's actions remain an international point of contention. When World Boxing introduced mandatory gender testing starting in 2025, Khelif filed a lawsuit with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to compete without testing and has since suspended her participation in matches. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on 'excluding men from women's sports' last year and publicly attacked Khelif as "a converted male boxer who stole a woman's gold medal."

In response, Khelif refuted the claims through the French media outlet 'L'Equipe,' stating, "I respect Trump because he is the President of the United States, but I cannot allow the truth to be distorted. I am not transgender; I am a woman. I was born a woman and raised as one, and people in my hometown have always known me as a woman."

At the same time, regarding the possibility of competing in the LA Olympics, she conveyed her stance: "I am willing to undergo all tests required by the rules. Women must be protected, but in doing so, other women must not be harmed."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original