Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America and member of the International Olympic Committee, commented on the case of Algerian boxer Iman Khalif in Paris Olympics 2024, which sparked a lot of controversy due to the great injustice suffered by the Arab champion.
Despite the fierce campaign that Khalifa (25 years old) received in the Western media in particular, and through social media in general, she raised the banner of challenge and gave her country, Algeria, the gold medal, after winning the final of the 66 kg weight class against the Chinese Yang Liu.
Khalif joined fellow gymnast Kilia Namour, who also won Olympic gold at the Paris Games, and runner Jamal Sajati, who won the bronze medal in the 800m race in athletics.
Algerian Iman Khalif receives support from Saudi Ambassador to America
Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and a member of the International Olympic Committee, expressed her support for Algerian boxer Iman Khalif, in response to the abuse she was subjected to at the 2024 Paris Olympics, saying: “Since I am an Arab Muslim woman, and these are traits that embody my identity, I cannot remain silent about what is being circulated in the media about Iman Khalif.”
“First, I would like to affirm my full support for the joint statement issued by the International Olympic Committee and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit on 1 August 2024. The facts here are clear: Ms. Eman Khalif was born a girl and has lived her entire life as a woman. However, despite the facts contained in the joint statement, misleading and false information has continued to circulate, causing immeasurable pain. This is not only unacceptable, but also sad,” Princess Reema added while attending the IOC meeting.
“Since her childhood as the daughter of a loving family in Algeria, Iman Khalif has worked hard throughout her life to become an Olympic athlete competing in front of the world. As many know, the path she has taken requires a lot of hard work, determination and perseverance. As is the nature of Olympians, Iman embodies the best traits and abilities, and herein lies the beauty of the Olympic Games. No one has the right to question Iman’s femininity,” she continued.
For reference, Algerian boxer Iman Khalif, immediately after winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, decided to hire a law firm to file a lawsuit against all parties that attacked and bullied her during the major global sporting event.
