There’s been quite a stir in the sports world recently, especially in Olympic boxing. An intense bout between Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Italy’s Angela Carini in Paris on Thursday has sparked major controversy.
Khelif’s participation was highly criticized because she failed a gender eligibility test and was found to have male chromosomes during the 2023 World Championships. This test was sanctioned by the International Boxing Association.
The match took a surprising turn when Carini abandoned the fight just 46 seconds in. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, boxing legend Jackie Kallen expressed her dismay, stating the bout should never have happened.
“I just feel like that because it’s been banned everywhere else in contact sports. I’m just disappointed anyone on the Olympic Committee allowed this to happen as the whole world was watching,” Kallen said. “It’s just a black mark on the sport of boxing. We have enough problems with people looking at the sport as brutal or finding other things to complain about. But this really doesn’t help us at all.”
Jackie Kallen is a true trailblazer in the male-dominated sport of boxing. She has managed some of the sport’s biggest stars, guiding James Toney and Bronco McKart to world championships. Known as the “First Lady of Boxing,” her life story even inspired the 2004 Meg Ryan movie “Against the Ropes.” In 2023, she made history as the first female manager inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
With her extensive experience, Kallen knows firsthand the significant differences in hand-to-hand combat between men and women. Her concerns highlight the ongoing debate about gender eligibility in sports and the impact it has on the integrity of competitions.
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