“I Won’t Back Down”: Khelif Responds to Boxing Organization Lawsuit.
Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Condemns “False and Offensive” Allegations Amid IBA Lawsuit Against IOC
Gold medalist Imane Khelif has strongly rejected the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) claims as “false and offensive” after the organization announced legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over her and Lin Yu-Ting’s inclusion in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics.
“The IBA has once again made baseless accusations to serve its own agenda,” Khelif stated on social media Tuesday, emphasizing that the issue extends beyond her, touching on “fairness and due process in sport.”
Earlier this week, the IBA, led by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, declared its intent to sue the IOC, which had organized the boxing events in Paris after the IBA was expelled from the Olympic movement in 2019 due to financial and ethical concerns.
Despite both Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting being born and raised as women, the IBA controversially barred them from its 2023 World Championships, citing failed gender eligibility tests based on XY chromosomes.
The IBA’s lawsuit coincides with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order restricting transgender athletes in women’s sports, a move the IOC dismissed as part of the IBA’s ongoing “campaign” against them.
In response, Khelif vowed to fight back through every legal channel, declaring: “I have faced adversity before, but I have never stayed down. I will fight in the ring, in the courts, and in the public eye until the truth is undeniable.”
