Imane Khelif, who won the gold of the Boxing of the Olympic Games in Paris in the middle of a row of gender eligibility, is determined to defend his title at the Los Angeles Games of 2028 and says he will not be intimidated by the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Trump signed an executive order that prohibits the transgender women of women’s sports in the United States last month and called Khelif “a male boxer” in his speech after signing the order.
“I’ll give you a direct answer, I’m not transgender,” he said ITVV In an interview. “This doesn’t worry me, and I don’t intimidate me.”
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee recommended the inclusion of boxing in the 2028 Games on Monday and Khelif said he dreamed of retaining his title in California.
“Second gold medal, of course. In America, Los Angeles … I (I) defend with all this gold medal,” he said.
“I think that the old Imane operated at 50 percent of its potential, then today’s Khalif Imane is even more motivated and determined.”
Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association in the World Championship of 2023 after a test that the body said it made it ineligible to fight as a woman in the gender field.
However, he was lost his Olympic recognition about governance problems, and the International Olympic Committee cleared Khelif to compete in Paris, aggressively defending his position after strong criticism.
A rival agency of the IBR, World Boxing, received provisional recognition as the International Sports Government Body last month.
The recommendation still requires the final approval of the IOC in his session in Greece and outgoing president Thomas Bach said he was confident that the session would approve it.
“At this point, I can say that he was a thing of the past,” Khelif said. “As we say in Algeria, those who have nothing to hide should not be afraid.”
The debate on the inclusion of transgender athletes and athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) in women’s sport has been a key issue in the COI presidential race, with the elections scheduled for Thursday.
“I hope that the next president of the IOC leads with true sports spirit, remains committed to the Olympic principles and maintain the values of the play clean,” Khelif said.
