LET US cut to the chaste. The vehement condemnation of and objection to Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s participation in the women’s boxing tournament in the 2024 Summer Olympics has stemmed not out of a genuine love for the ideals of the quadrennial sporting event, but out of sheer resentment of anyone who is different, or “not normal” according to preconceived notions and biases of who should be “normal.”
When Italian boxer Angela Carini pulled out of her fight against Khelif after 46 seconds into the first round, many sympathized with the former and slammed the latter for what some people considered an unfair fight. Charge it to impulse or to a large extent, pure ignorance. Without doing even just a little research, many flooded the social media with their anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments, with outright claims of Khelif being a transwoman or a man who is in the process of transitioning into a woman.
In the 2023 World Championships, Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified after failing the eligibility rules of the International Boxing Association (IBA). This rule prevents athletes with male XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events. Take note, their disqualification did not occur prior to the start of the competition but just before their medal bouts. In addition, the IBA has refused to provide any information about the tests.
Citing the IBA’s lack of transparency regarding the tests, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called the testing process at the world championship in India as “completely arbitrary” – it was done towards the end of the tournament after the two had already fought and won several bouts. In fact, they had competed in IBA events for several years without any problem.
Mark Adams, the IOC spokesperson, in a previous press conference, had said that the tests themselves, the process of the tests and the ad hoc natures of the tests were not legitimate.
It must be noted that last year, the IOC stripped the IBA of its status as boxing’s governing body and has taken charge of the boxing competitions in the Paris Games and is now applying the eligibility rules from the 2016 and the 2021 Olympics.
At the center of this controversy are two female boxers – Khelif and Yu-ting – who were born females, raised as females, started their boxing careers competing in female tournaments but are “cursed” with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD), a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones, and reproductive organs.
People with DSDs like Khelif and Yu-ting have XY sex chromosomes that make them “phenotypically males,” blood testosterone levels that fall within the male range, and the ability to use the testosterone circulating within their bodies to their advantage.
Call it a genetic disorder or a scientific abnormality, but the fact remains that they were born with it and none of this is their own doing. So instead of allowing all these explanations from experts in the field of Biology, Genetic, Endocrinology, Osteology and Physiology define them, and limit them what they can do as women born with “disorders” they opted to rise above them, work hard and carve a name for themselves in a sporting event that they love. Whatever happened to the call of many positivity advocates to turn one’s weakness into strength, and to use one’s failures as launching pads to success?
Do you know what I find ironic about this vitriol emanating from Kehlif’s Olympic bid? First, no one was talking about her perceived outright advantage when she lost a couple of tournaments to more “feminine-looking” female boxers early in her career. She was simply called the weaker or the unprepared fighter.
Second, in previous Olympics everyone celebrated the “abnormalities” of bemedalled swimmer Michael Phelps whose arm span is 3 inches longer than his 6’4” height, whose huge palms ably support his paddling ability, whose large feet are attached to extremely flexible ankles that work like fins similar to that of a shark, and produces half as much lactic acid as the rest of his opponents which significantly reduces his recovery time and allows him to endure longer swims without slowing down. No one cried howls of protests over these “abnormalities;” many swimmers envied him for these “gifts.”
Can you just imagine how many Filipino basketball and volleyball fanatics would react if we were able to produce a team composed of players with an advantageous genetic disorder called gigantism, where the average height in the team would be way beyond the average height of the champion Olympic teams?
The Paris Olympics has once again opened our eyes to things we always refuse to see. It is about time we truly embrace our differences, and it is high time we stick to facts. Not sometimes, or most of the times; but all of the times.
