The International Boxing Association (IBA) announced that Italy’s Angela Carini will be awarded $50,000 in prize money, despite her defeat to Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a transgender athlete, in the welterweight round-of-16 match at the Paris Olympics.
The bout, which ended in 46 seconds, saw Carini withdraw after being overwhelmed by Khelif’s punches.
In addition to Carini’s prize, her federation will receive $25,000, and her coach will be awarded another $25,000.
IBA President Umar Kremlev expressed his disappointment over the situation, highlighting concerns about the safety and eligibility of athletes in the competition.
Khelif, alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, was permitted to compete in Paris despite being disqualified at the 2023 World Championships for failing IBA eligibility rules related to athletes with male XY chromosomes.
The controversy has placed the IOC, which took over the boxing competition for Paris 2024 after stripping IBA of its status due to governance issues, at the center of a heated debate.
Carini, in an interview, expressed her sadness over the controversy and apologized, emphasizing that her actions were unintentional and she bore no ill will toward Khelif.
The Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni voiced concerns about the fairness of the match, while other athletes like WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson defended Khelif and Lin, arguing that they have always competed as women.
The IOC maintained that the eligibility rules could not be altered during the competition, adhering to the guidelines established for the Tokyo Games in 2021.
