Influencer-turned-wrestler Logan Paul remains at the center of controversy. Following his comments against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif a few days ago, the WWE star retracted his statements… but not entirely.
Khelif made headlines in sports newspapers around the world for the controversy surrounding her gender. The International Boxing Association (IBA) banned her from competing in the 2023 World Championships after she “failed a gender test.”
The banning fueled the rumor that Khelif was a transgender woman, sparking a wave of protests when it emerged that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would allow her to compete at the Paris 2024 Summer Games. Among those who protested were Paul and former boxer Claressa Shields.
In a now-deleted post on his X (fofmerly Twitter) account, Paul described the IOC’s actions as “the purest form of evil,” after Angela Carini pulled out of her first-round fight against Khelif. Paul wrote, “A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father.”
Imane Khelif is a female-born woman fighter, she’s perfectly eligible to compete in women’s sports from a gender point of view
She’s born a female, please do not belittle her achievement as a woman and call her a man. It’s not right. This mass misinformation needs to stop. https://t.co/FSQOpxMQJG pic.twitter.com/Ft4kEz4Mxr
— 𝙁𝙎 🇵🇸 (@Fs_FTBL) August 1, 2024
Paul’s “apology”
In response to the controversy, the IOC issued a statement saying that Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting had met the eligibility requirements for the Paris 2024 boxing tournament. It said, “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”
Following the IOC’s statement, Paul deleted his first post and posted a new one stating, “I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entirety of this app. Although she’s been previously disqualified for failing a ‘gender test’ and has XY chromosomes, some sources say Imane Khelif was born a biological woman.”
Despite his words, Paul maintained the core of his stance. “I stand by my sentiment that biological men should not compete against biological women in any sport and if you disagree you’re a sick f*ck,” the fighter posted.
‼️ OOPSIES ‼️
I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entirety of this app
Although she’s been previously disqualified for failing a “gender test” and has XY chromosomes, some sources say Imane Khelif was born a biological woman
I stand by my sentiment… https://t.co/oVfWARylCJ pic.twitter.com/S2QvHPHwWg
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) August 1, 2024
Khelif’s next fights
The controversy is far from over. After Carini’s withdrawal, Khelif advanced to the quarterfinals of the 66kg category, where she will face Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, and, if she wins, she would face the winner of the duel between Turkey’s Busenaz Surmeneli and Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semifinals.
Khelif has already had strong showings at international and regional tournaments. In 2022, she was the silver medallist in the light welterweight category at the World Championships in Istanbul and won gold at the African Championships and the Mediterranean Games. In 2023, she was the champion of the Arab Games in the welterweight category.
