“Their lives are set up pure hatred”: 3x national champ Dawn Staley shows support for Imane Khelif amid explosive gender row
Dawn Staley has commented on the ongoing narratives from Imane Khelif’s boxing bout with Angela Carini at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday. Khelif won the fight within 46 seconds as Carini abandoned the faceoff. The instance has plenty of people pointing fingers at the sanctity of the game by questioning Khelif’s gender.
However, the reason behind Italy’s Angela Carini’s withdrawal was “severe pain” in her nose. Moreover, she did not raise queries on Imane Khelif’s gender or the authenticity of her stepping into the ring and instead claimed that she would "embrace her" the next time she faced her.
Moreover, as sports journalist Jemele Hill shed light on Carini’s remarks about the game, Dawn Staley emphasized the importance of staying by Khelif’s side, citing that media narratives are setting her up for hatred.
"They also need to pray and be prayed for because … the way their lives are set up pure hatred. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾," Staley wrote on her X.
Khelif's scrutiny stems after the president of the International Boxing Association, Umar Kremlev, alleged that she had XY chromosomes, thereby denying her participation in the 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships event.
The IBA has been terminated by the International Olympic Committee due to irregularities, which ultimately discredits last year's statement.
The same committee revealed that Imane Khelif, like every athlete, has “complied” with the rules and regulations before being allowed to participate in the Olympics, making her a valid candidate in the women's category.
Some global leaders are against Imane Khelif's participation
The twenty-five-year-old Imane Khelif has been fighting in the women’s category since the start of her career. Moreover, she was registered as a female at birth and is also mentioned as a female in her passport.
Meanwhile, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke for proper gender segregation in sports, ultimately citing the controversial boxing contest as uneven.
"I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions," she said in an interview according to Reuters.
"And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms."
Former US President Donald Trump promised to impose segregation on his first day at the Oval Office if he got elected in the November presidential elections.
Moreover, the International Boxing Association has announced that it will award $50,000 in prize money to Angela Carini in light of her forfeit.