Nov 6 (Reuters) – Imane Khelif is set to return to the ring for the first time since winning gold at the Paris Olympics, with the 27-year-old due to fight on December 15 in the same city where she became the Olympic champion.
Algerian Khelif, who was forced out of a professional bout with Julia Igel in April due to injury, will face 21-year-old Dutch boxer Clarida Sarabia in a six-round professional fight, French media said.
The bout with Sarabia, who holds an undefeated 4-0 professional record, was announced at a press conference in Paris on Friday.
Khelif has not competed at official events since winning gold in the women’s welterweight division at the 2024 Olympics amid a gender dispute over her eligibility, after the International Boxing Association disqualified her from the 2023 World Championships based on sex chromosome tests.
In a video promoting the upcoming fight, Khelif said she never gave up despite the long absence from the ring.
“Days became weeks, weeks became months. I waited, doubted. But deep inside, the fire never died. Behind closed doors, I kept fighting,” she said in the video posted by Stair Event on Instagram.
“Because this fight was never only mine. It was for everyone who dared to be, for everyone who refused to give up.”
World Boxing, which will oversee boxing competitions at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee, last year announced mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions.
In February, Khelif said she was open to genetic testing only if administered by the IOC.
When asked whether she would defend her Olympic title in 2028, Khelif told reporters: “I can’t answer, because I’ve filed complaints against World Boxing regarding the gender tests.”
However, Kamel Abdesselam, who coaches Khelif alongside Nasser Lalaoui, said she would not defend the title.
“She has no interest in competing in the Games again. She’s already an Olympic champion,” Abdesselam said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
