ITALIAN Angela Carini has apologized to Imane Khelif for the chaotic end to their women's boxing fight at the Paris Olympics on Thursday that left the Algerian fighter under fire amid questions about her gender.
Carini forfeited her fight against Imane just 46 in after she received a hard shot to the nose. She later kneeled in the middle of the ring and cried uncontrollably, refusing to shake the hand of her opponent.
Fans later questioned the International Olympic Committee decision to let Imani compete in Paris despite a failed a gender test reportedly due to the presence of XY chromosomes in her DNA during last year’s World Championship.
READ IOC laments 'abuse' on boxers Imane Khelif, Lin Yu-ting
A day after the fight, Carini said she wants to apologize to her opponent over how she handled the defeat.
“All this controversy makes me sad,” said Carini in an interview with Italian sports outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by BBC Sport. “I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”
Carini said she is also sorry for failing to shake her opponent’s hand.
“It wasn’t something I intended to do,” said Carini. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke. I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her.”
The International Olympic Committee and the Paris Boxing Unit issued a statement lamenting the abuse that Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei have been receiving amid questions about their gender.
READ Lin Yu-ting joins Petecio in quarterfinals after dominant debut
The IOC has stripped the International Boxing Association of recognition as well as its right to run the boxing competition at the Paris Olympics for failing to ensure integrity in the judging of fights, among other issues.
The IOC and PBU said Khalif and Lin are eligible to fight as female boxers, as stated in their passports, and have been competing as such for many years including the qualification tournaments leading up to the Paris Olympics.
The IOC and PBU also rued the lack of due process in the disqualification of Khalif and Lin during the worlds, which they described as “sudden” and “arbitrary.”
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