HUNGARY AND BULGARIA LAUNCH PROTEST AGAINST IMANE KHELIF AHEAD OF HER BOUT AGAINST ANNA LUCA HAMORI TODAY - AS ALGERIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE FILES FORMAL COMPLAINT OVER ATHLETE'S TREATMENT IN 'HEINOUS HATE CAMPAIGN'

The Algerian Olympic Committee has lodged a formal complaint to the IOC
Imane Khelif faced criticism following her victory over Italy's Angela Carini
The Algerian boxer will take on Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary on Saturday

The Algerian Olympic Committee has lodged a formal complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) concerning the treatment of their female boxer Imane Khelif.

While, Hungary's boxing federation and Bulgaria's Olympic Committee have contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to object to her participation at the 2024 Games.

Khelif faced severe criticism following her victory over Angela Carini in the women's welterweight round of 16 at the Paris Olympics, with the Italian boxer withdrawing from the bout just 46 seconds in.

Controversy arose when it was revealed that Khelif had not passed eligibility tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) ahead of the Women's World Championships.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - which is overseeing boxing at the 2024 Games but did not organise the World Championships - cleared Khelif to compete in Paris.

The dispute, which has been centered around gender identity, fairness in competition, and the integrity of Olympic sports, came to light after Khelif's fight with Carini.

The situation was escalated further when Khelif's upcoming opponent, Anna Luca Hamori, posted a series of disparaging comments about her online. In response, the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee submitted an official complaint to the IOC.

'The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committees conclude to the knowledge of national and international public opinion, that follows the official complaint submitted today by our Olympic body to the International Olympic Committee,' they said in a statement.

'Regarding the violation and serious violation of sport ethics and affecting the Olympic Charter, in the person of our champion Iman Khalif, by one of the participants in the boxing tournament for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

'The International Olympic Committee has issued a final apology to violators with an order to delete every post that concerns our heroine Iman Khalif. We reserve the right to prosecute everyone who participated in the heinous campaign against the heroine Iman Khalif. Good luck to our heroine and long live Algeria.'

Meanwhile, Hungary's boxing federation and Bulgaria's Olympic Committee have contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to object to Khalif's participation at the 2024 Games.

'Our federation has notified the Hungarian Olympic Committee of our objections to the participation of the Algerian athlete,' Hungary's federation (MOB) said. 'The MOB is continuously examining the means it can use to protect Hamori's rights to fair competition under the rules in force.'

The statement continued: 'The MOB president has initiated immediate consultations with the IOC Director of Sport to clarify the situation.'

Khelif will take on Hamori later today.

Khelif is one of two athletes—alongside Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting—who have been authorised to compete in the Paris 2024 after being disqualified from last year's Women's World Championships for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is overseeing boxing at the Paris 2024 Games but did not organise the World Championships, said that Khelif was disqualified in India due to elevated testosterone levels.

However, after receiving a bye in the first round at the Olympics, Khelif—who also competed in the Tokyo Games—faced criticism following her bout with Italian boxer Carini.

Within the first 30 seconds of their clash, Carini was hit in the face and went to her corner to have her headgear adjusted by her coach, with reports stating she had broken her nose.

Although she briefly continued, Carini barely threw a punch before telling her corner 'it's not fair' and then abandoning the match 'for her own safety' - instantly dropping to her knees and crying.

'I wasn't able to finish the match. I felt a strong pain to my nose and I said [to myself] for the experience that I have and the maturity as a woman that I have, I said I hope my nation won't take it badly, I hope my dad won't take it badly - but I stopped, I said stop for myself,' Carini told BBC Sport after the fight.

'It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment. I didn't have fear, I don't fear the ring. I don't fear taking the blows. But this time there's an end for everything, and I put an end to this match, because I wasn't able to [continue].'

After the match was stopped, the referee raised Khelif's hand in the air. But a visibly furious Carini yanked her own hand away from the fight official and walked off.

During the rapid fight, Carini was rocked by two punches from Khelif and said the savage force of the blows made it 'impossible to continue'.

Ignoring the Algerian after calling a halt to the bout, the Italian fighter then plunged to her knees and burst into tears - later saying she said she had never felt such strong blows in a contest before.

Speaking after the match, the heartbroken Italian said: 'I'm used to suffering. I've never taken a punch like that, it's impossible to continue. I'm nobody to say it's illegal.

'I got into the ring to fight. But I didn't feel like it anymore after the first minute. I started to feel a strong pain in my nose. I didn't give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I'm leaving with my head held high.'.

She said she did not walk away from the fight as a protest against her opponent's inclusion, but that was a decision for the Olympics to consider.

Asked why she knelt at the end of the match, she said it was for her late father, who died in 2021, before adding: 'I am sorry not to have taken Italy on to the podium.'

She was taken away for medical assessment to examine the seriousness of her facial injuries which included a bruised nose and subsequently apologised for her actions towards Khelif.

'All this controversy makes me sad,' Carini said. 'I'm sorry for my opponent, too. … If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision. It wasn't something I intended to do [ignoring the handshake].

'Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke. I don't have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her.'

2024-08-03T12:55:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd