(CTN News) – Imane Khelif and Carini exchanged quick blows in their 46-second Paris fight. Carini declared her Olympic debut over.

A unusual Olympic boxing incident occurred Thursday when Italy’s fighter left her Algerian opponent and went to her corner. After kneeling, Carini cried in the ring without shaking Imane Khelif’s hand. A still-tearful Carini said she quit due to the initial punches’ pain minutes later.

“After experiencing severe pain in my nose, I decided to stop playing because I did not wish to and was unable to complete the match,” said Carini. An inexplicable gender eligibility test disqualified Imane Khelif from the 2023 world championships, and her Paris Olympics attendance has divided opinions.

AdvertisementCarini denied resisting Imane Khelif or making a political statement with blood on her trunk.

Karini said she cannot decide whether Imane Khelif can compete.

“I simply performed my duties as a boxer,” said Carini. Fighting in the ring. My head held high and heart crushed for not complete the last kilometer.”

Carini was consoled by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in an Instagram post. Meloni continued, “Angela, I know you won’t give up and you’ll win what you deserve with effort and sweat. Equal competition finally.”

Talented amateur Khelif won silver at the 2022 IBA world championships. The IBA, which has been banned from the Olympics since 2019 after years of conflict with the IOC, disqualified her from last year’s championships before her gold-medal match due to high testosterone.

It is heartbreaking for me because I am a fighter,” Carini said. My father taught me the art of warriorship. Always entered the ring with honour and served my country with dedication. I quit this time because I couldn’t fight.”

Khelif might win an Olympic medal by defeating Anna Luca Hamori, Hungary’s first Olympic women’s boxer, in her quarterfinal on Saturday.

Fighting Imane Khelif didn’t bother Hamori.

Hamori overcame Australian Marissa Williamson Pohlman and remarked, “I’m not scared.” I ignore newspapers and social media. If I win and she or he is a man, it will be better.”

Her passport says Khelif is female. Hamori and Khelif attended the same competition but never sparred. Hamori said she didn’t care about the issue because it blocked her gold objective.

“I am trying not to use my mobile phone before the fight,” Hamori stated. Commentaries, stories, and news are not of interest to me. Want to focus on myself. This may be the key because I did it before my last two battles. We’ll see.”

She shrugged at Carini’s resignation.

“It was her choice,” Hamori said. I don’t understand because I thought every boxer was like me—never give up. It was her call. The reason is unknown. I want to do this too, but she lives.”

Taiwanese players Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting were criticised for attending Paris after competing in amateur events internationally. Lin won IBA world championships in 2018 and 2022, but she was stripped of a bronze medal last year for failing a biochemical test.

Lin’s Paris run begins Friday. She faces Uzbek Sitora Turdibekova in the first round after receiving a first-round bye as the top 57-kilogram seed. Olympic seeding may not suggest medal contenders. On Wednesday, the Algerian Olympic Committee blasted “lies” and “unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets.”

Meloni, who was visiting Italy athletes in the Olympic Village on Thursday, attacked Carini for boxing Imane Khelif. She said she had opposed “genetically male” athletes participating against women since 2021.

Meloni said, “We have to pay attention, in an attempt to not discriminate, that we’re actually discriminating against women’s rights.

Olympic athletes Imane Khelif and Lin competed in Tokyo.

Lin has been a top amateur boxer for a decade, Khelif for six. The IOC continuously supported boxers’ right to participate this week. Paris had gender equity in Olympic boxing with 124 men and 124 women.

Boxer eligibility was based on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics gender criteria, according to the IOC. The International Cycling Union, World Aquatics, and World Athletics have changed their gender restrictions over the past three years. Last year, track and field tightened sex discrepancy rules.

The IOC administers boxing in Paris after the IBA lost Olympic status owing to governance, financial transparency, and possible corruption in judging and refereeing.

IBA president Umar Kremlev is Russian. He moved most IBA operations to Russia and secured Gazprom as its principal backer. Over three dozen IBA members have joined World Boxing, which wants IOC recognition as the sport’s authority before the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

With the two boxers’ Paris visit, the IBA has slammed the IOC. After the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed the suspension earlier this year, the IBA appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal in a last attempt to defeat the IOC.

The banned body said Wednesday that both boxers were disqualified for not having a “testosterone examination” last year but were “subject to a separate and recognised test”. IBA refuses to reveal the test’s “specifics, which remain confidential.”

IBA allowed Russian boxers to compete at the 2023 world championships against IOC advice. After defeating Russian fighter Azalia Amineva, Khelif was fired by the governing organisation.

SOURCE: APN