IBA to award prize money to Italy's Carini despite loss to Algeria's Khelif

The IOC last year stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body over governance issues, and took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition itself, but now finds itself at the centre of a row.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) will award Italy's Angela Carini, who lost her welterweight round-of-16 bout against Algerian Imane Khelif at the Paris Olympics in 46 seconds on Thursday, $50,000 in prize money, it said on Friday.

Carini pulled out in the first round after the Algerian, who is at the heart of a gender row, pummelled the Italian with a barrage of punches.

The IBA, which was stripped of its international recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year, said Carini would receive $50,000, her federation a further $25,000 and her coach an additional $25,000.

"I do not understand why they killed women's boxing," IBA President Umar Kremlev said.

"Only eligible athletes should compete in the ring for the sake of safety. I could not look at her tears."

Algeria's Khelif, and Taiwan double world champion Lin Yu-ting, were cleared to compete in Paris despite being disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing IBA eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes competing in women's events.

The IOC last year stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body over governance issues, and took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition itself, but now finds itself at the centre of a row over the pair's participation.

Welterweight Khelif next takes on Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori.

The IOC said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has seen people such as British author J. K. Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk voice their opposition to them competing in the Games.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who met IOC President Thomas Bach on Thursday, said the Italian athlete had faced a boxer who had physical advantages and it was not a fight between equals.

However, WBC women's world featherweight champion Skye Nicolson pointed out that Khelif and Lin had both been beaten by women several times during their careers and said they "do not deserve this mistreatment".

"I've actually fought and sparred both of the girls," the Australian said in an Instagram post.

"They have grown up as girls, as females, as women. They have competed as women the whole time. These are not naturally born men who have decided to call themselves women or identify as women to fight women in the Olympics.

"I feel like the thing that happened with the Italian girl was a publicity stunt more than anything."

Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women's competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.

Differences of Sexual Disorder (DSD) are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.

The IOC said the rules of eligibility were based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and could not be changed during a competition.

No doubt boxers in gender dispute are women, IOC's Bach says

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan's double world champion Lin Yu-ting are women who have every right to compete at the Paris Olympics despite a gender dispute that has overshadowed their competitions, the International Olympic Committee president said on Saturday.

The pair were cleared to compete in Paris despite being disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes competing in women's events.

The IOC last year stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body over governance issues, and took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition.

"We are talking about women's boxing. We have two boxers who were born as women, raised as women, who have passports as women and who have competed for many years as women and this is a clear definition of a woman," Thomas Bach told a press conference.

"There was never any doubt about them being women."

The IOC has said the IBA decision to disqualify them last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has swept social media and seen people such as J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk voice their opposition to them competing in the Games.

Khelif pummelled Angela Carini in the round of 16 of their welterweight bout on Thursday before the Italian stopped after 46 seconds, with the Algerian's dominant performance further fanning the debate. The IBA on Friday promised to pay the defeated athlete $50,000 in prize money.

Bach said the IBA's position was part of what he said was a defamation campaign. The IBA did not immediately respond to a request for a comment

"What we have seen from the Russian side and in particular from international federation from which we had to withdraw the recognition, that they have undertaken way before these Games a defamation campaign against France, against the Games, against the IOC," Bach said.

"They have made a number of comments in this respect which I don't want to repeat."

IBA President Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman, has repeatedly posted inflammatory comments on social media against both Bach and the IOC for the decision to allow the pair to compete at the Games.

"I would ask everybody to respect these women, to respect them as women and as human beings," Bach said. "When you speak about human rights then you have the human right of every woman to participate in a women's competition."

Bach said the IOC wanted to keep boxing in the Olympics given the social role it plays, especially for underprivileged parts of society but a new global body had to be created.

"Very clearly yes," he said when asked if he wanted to see boxing in future Olympics.

"Boxing is one of the most global sports, a sport with very high social values. In any country many boxers tend to come from underprivileged parts of society and boxing offers them many opportunities not only on the field of play but also off the field of play."

He said that was also true for women and Khelif was proof of that.

"This why it is even more deplorable with what is happening with Imane on social media. Because she has made it very clear that she is standing for the rights of women in her country and boxing gives the opportunity to express herself and gives her the confidence to do so."

• THE OLYMPICS, 2024