Imane Khelif, fresh off her Olympic triumph in Paris, confirmed that she planned to become a professional boxer just months after snatching a gold medal.
The Algerian sensation faced a storm of controversy during her Olympic journey, having been previously barred from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) following gender eligibility tests. A matter for which, notably, no irrefutable evidence has been presented.
At just 25, Khelif not only made history by securing Algeria’s first female boxing gold with her resounding 5-0 victory over Yang Liu in the women’s 66kg category but also became the centre of contention as the Games progressed.
Angela Carini dramatically withdrew from their bout after less than a minute, visibly distressed and foregoing the customary post-match handshake, though she later expressed regret over the ensuing controversy.
In August, an emotionally wounded Khelif disclosed the extent of the vitriol aimed in her direction, as rampant speculation about her gender marred the Olympics experience.
After her triumph in Paris, the Algerian now has set her sights on a new challenge in the ring – turning pro. Addressing the media on Sunday, she declared: “I would like to hold a press conference today to share with you my success story with the media family and young women who watch me.
“There is a documentary being prepared about my success story and it will be shown on international platforms. I will soon enter the world of professional boxing, I have many offers. Currently, I have not made up my mind about where I will enter professional boxing. But very soon I will take this step, we as Algerians would like to see our level in the field of professionalism.”
Earlier in the month, there was a flurry of false reports that Khelif had been stripped of her Olympic glory, which triggered the World Boxing Organisation to clarify the situation firmly. Online speculation suggested that the 25-year-old had been disqualified and faced a lifetime ban from the WBO.
However, given her amateur status, such sanctions would fall well outside the governing body’s remit.
“The World Boxing Organisation has informed that it had not tested, nor has it banned female boxer Imane Khelif, who won a gold medal during the boxing tournament of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France,” their official statement confirmed.
WBO legal counsel Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. clarified: “The report claiming that the WBO had banned Khelif are obviously false. We have had no communication with Khelif. We congratulate her and wish her luck in all her future endeavours.”
He further emphasised: “Any report stating otherwise is obviously fake and ill-intentioned.”
