Algerian boxer Imane Khalif won the gold medal in the 66 kg weight category on Friday, August 9, after winning the final match against her Chinese counterpart, Yang Li, amid record international follow-up that rose to the level of controversy and debate that has surrounded the Algerian champion since the beginning of the Paris Olympics 2024.
Khalif became an inspiring story in the world when she fought the injustice and skepticism she faced at the beginning of the Olympics, when her eligibility to compete with women was questioned, at the instigation of the “illegitimate” International Boxing Federation, and the follow-up of politicians, celebrities and well-known figures, in which she mixed politics with racism, hatred and bullying.
Algerian Iman Khalif (25 years old) received unprecedented sympathy in Algeria and the world as well after many people understood her story, especially after the International Olympic Committee stood by her against the unjust accusations and blatant questioning of her gender. In this report, “WinWin” monitors three factors that contributed to the Algerian champion embracing the Olympic gold.
Systematic injustice and questioning of Algerian Iman Khalif in an unethical way
I got armed Algerian boxing With an iron will and strong determination to respond to the campaign of injustice and bullying that she has been subjected to since the beginning of the Olympics, which caused her to shed tears during her match against the Hungarian boxer, Luka Hamori, in the quarter-finals, as Khalifa did not accept all the racist phrases covered in hate speech and bullying that she was subjected to on social media platforms and the political and media skepticism about her.
Khalif was the victim of a political conflict between the International Boxing Federation and the International Olympic Committee by employing a “far-right” figure, all of which prompted her to transform the negative pressure imposed on her into positive energy, thanks to which she resisted all her critics inside the ring, and Algerian boxing responded to moral skepticism in a way that was very inspiring and honorable.
The Olympic dream and the story of her struggle to reach the world
Algerian Iman Khalif’s path to Olympic gold was not paved with roses, but rather it was long and arduous for many years. Regardless of the campaign she faced during the 2024 Paris Olympics, the daughter of the Tiaret province, west of the Algerian capital, struggled for years to reach this position.
Khalifa defied the norms and traditions of her conservative region by practicing boxing. She also endured poverty and hunger before reaching the top of the world, in an inspiring story worthy of being a script for an international film. She used to sell bread and walk long distances to secure her place in the sport she loves. Winning the gold medal was a dream she had pursued since her early childhood before achieving it in Paris.
Strong Algerian support, state and people
Algerian Iman Khalif received unprecedented official and popular Algerian support, as all Algerians rallied around her to support her, defended her against all doubters, and turned various social media platforms into a field to restore her reputation, championing her honor and dignity as an Algerian woman who struggled to reach the highest level in the Olympic Games.
The 2022 vice-world champion turned this support into a source of strength and determination to give her best in the ring, which Iman Khalif acknowledged in her various statements since the beginning of the Olympics, when she confirmed that the Algerians’ support for her increases her strength, will and fighting spirit, and that her goal is to make them happy and bring joy to their hearts.
