Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has courted controversy after she referred to Algerian boxer Imane Khelif as a man. Ms Rowling's comment came after Khelif defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
The Carini-Khelif fight lasted 46 seconds after the Italian boxer decided to abandon the bout to "preserve her life". Soon after, she fell to her knees sobbing and even refused to shake hands with Khelif. The Algerian boxer was announced as the winner.
"I am heartbroken... 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 said.
Reacting to Carini's defeat, Ms Rowling posted on X, "Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you're OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn't sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women."
She also shared a video clip of the fight.
Next, she shared a post by Kirsty Burrows, Head of the Safe Sport Unit at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), slamming them for allowing "a male to get in the ring with her (Carini)."
"You're a disgrace, your ‘safeguarding' is a joke and #Paris24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini," she added.
In another post, Rowling shared a photograph of Carini crying and Khelif looking at her. "Could any picture sum up our new men's rights movement better? The smirk of a male who's knows he's protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head, and whose life's ambition he's just shattered."
However, Rowling's post has been criticised by many stating that Khelif was raised and identified as a female, and she is not a transgender. A user also pointed out that Algeria was a "Fundamentalist country where homosexuality and sex change are illegal and she had to go past the obstacles of her father's disapproval to be able to do Boxing."
As per the rules, athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) are currently eligible to compete in women's competition at the Olympics.
What is DSD?
These are a group of rare conditions that involve genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Some of the people with DSDs are raised as female, however, they have XY sex chromosomes, while their blood testosterone levels are in the male range.
Last year, Algeria's Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold-medal bout in the world championships in New Delhi as she fell foul of International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility rules, which do not allow athletes with XY chromosomes to compete in women's events.
Why she's been allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024
In June last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of its status as the global governing body for boxing as it failed to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues, Reuters reported.
As a result, IOC is now running the boxing competition at the Paris Games and its rules on inclusion of the athletes with DSDs as well as gender diversity in the women's competition apply.
Who is Imane Khelif?
The 25-year-old hails from the Tiaret city of Algeria and is also the UNICEF ambassador at present. While her father did not "approve of boxing for girls," she decided to inspire the next generation by winning a gold medal on grand stages.
She made her debut as a professional in the 2018 World Championships and finished 17th. During the 2019 edition of the event, she came in 19th position. In the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she was knocked out by Ireland's Kellie Harrington in the quarter-finals.
Amid social media outrage over her eligibility, the IOC defended Khelif and said, "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passports."
Khelif is competing in the women's category in the 66kg division.
