Algeria’s representative to the UN Security Council, Tawfiq Kodri, responded to an implied message from the Russian ambassador that insulted boxer Iman Khelif, who represents her country in the 66 kg women’s category at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she secured an Olympic medal for her country.
Although her name was not mentioned, the Russian representative to the Security Council expressed his objection to some female athletes experiencing violence from those who failed hormone tests, describing them as male competitors, calling the appearance disgusting, and highlighting the damage to women’s rights according to Western attempts to support the LGBTQ+ community.
In his speech to the Security Council, Kodri, the political coordinator of Algeria’s permanent mission in New York, said, “I apologize for requesting the floor for a second time. My delegation did not wish to mix politics with sports, especially during the Olympic Games. We heard an implicit reference clearly directed at a sports heroine from my country. I affirm that the courageous boxer, Ms. Iman Khelif, was born female, grew up as a young girl, and practiced sports as a woman by all standards, and there is no doubt about this except for those with a political agenda whose purposes we do not know.”
He added, “In the end, I refer everyone to the International Olympic Committee, which, with full clarity and testimony, crushes any doubts about our brave and proud champion, the granddaughter of Algerian women for my country.”
Iman Khelif is preparing to compete against China’s Yang Liu for the gold medal in the 66 kg category at the Philippe Chatrier Court in Roland Garros. The Algerian boxer has faced global attacks and a campaign of doubt about her, due to her alleged failure in the “gender eligibility test” at the last World Championships. This was intensified by Italian Angela Carini, Khelif’s competitor in the Round of 16, who withdrew after just 46 seconds, claiming she was struck by an extremely powerful punch, despite the International Olympic Committee defending Khelif’s rightful participation in women’s competitions, as well as her father presenting a documented birth certificate proving she was born female.
