Gender row explodes after Italy's Carini abandons fight against Khelif

Paris: Women’s boxing match in Olympics is mired in controversy after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who failed gender eligibility test last year, knocked out Italian opponent Angela Carini in the 66 kg women's boxing category, NDTV reported.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, among others, said the competition was "not on an equal footing".

Author JK Rowling vehemently reacted to the incident involving gender row, asking: "Explain why you're OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment."

After defeat, Angela Carini collapsed on her knees in the ring and sobbed and did not shake hands with Khelif, who entered the quarterfinals.

The Algerian boxer landed two heavy punches on Carini knocking her out in just 46 seconds where a boxing round lasts 3 minutes with three rounds in each.

Angela Carini was unable to stand up from the impact of the punch and her nose was hit and bleeding.

"I have a big pain in my nose and I said, 'Stop'. It's better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit," Carini was quoted as saying.

Reacting to incident, Italy's Prime Minister said "I think athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions. 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."

"I was emotional yesterday when she wrote 'I will fight' because the dedication, the head, and the character, surely also play a role in these things. But then, it also matters to be able to compete on equal grounds and from my point of view it was not an even contest," Meloni reportedly said.

The International Olympic Committee allowed two boxers to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, although they failed the gender eligibility test for the World Boxing Championships.

At the women's World Championships in Delhi last year, the Algerian boxer was disqualified hours before her gold medal match, following which Algerian media said Khelif was disqualified for high levels of testosterones in her body.

JK Rowling’s reaction came after Kirsty Burrows, the Head of the Safe Sport Unit at the IOC, told press that "Paris Olympics 2024 offers the most comprehensive package of mental health and safeguarding initiatives than any other Olympic or sporting event in history."

Though Burrows’ comments were not linked to boxing match, Rowling said: "A young female boxer has just had everything she's worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her. You're a disgrace, your 'safeguarding' is a joke and Paris 24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini."