German boxer Julia Igel insists she is not afraid of Olympic champion Imane Khalif, despite telling DW she considers her Algerian opponent a “man” amid questions about Khalif’s eligibility for the women’s division.
“Anyone that has anything to do with the male gender should not be in women’s boxing,” Igel said before the fight in Paris on April 23.
Khalif is not transgender and was assigned female at birth, but has acknowledged that she has the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and triggers the development of male characteristics. Critics argue that this gives her an unfair and dangerous advantage over other women in the ring.
Not that the Hedgehog appears bothered by the obvious additional risks.
“I’m definitely not scared,” the 25-year-old told DW at her training camp in Berlin. “And that’s the best thing, because when my coach asked me if I wanted to do this fight, my last thought was fear. I know my skills, I know my abilities.”
Caliph’s controversial Paris gold medal
Making her professional debut in the French capital, Khalife is not only returning to the scene of her biggest triumph, but also ushering in the biggest controversy of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her gold medal was overshadowed by allegations that she had failed an unspecified gender test in the two years before the Games.
In those tests, which were expelled by the International Olympic Committee in 2023, Khalif and another female boxer, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, reportedly had XY (male) chromosomes and “male levels” of testosterone, according to the International Boxing Federation. (Lynn has since been deemed “women’s” by World Boxing, which is now in charge of the sport in the Olympics).
While Igel still uses the pronoun “he” for Khalif, German coach and manager Ikram Kerwat is far more explicit.
Four-time world champion Kerwat said, “Ever since it was discovered that he has XY chromosomes, he has balls, he produces testosterone… yes, it’s him.”
The Angela Carini case is fresh in Kerawat’s mind. The Italian abandoned his fight against Khalif at the Paris Games after only 46 seconds, and later said that he had never felt a punch like Khalif’s before. “He saved himself,” Kerwat said. “Oho [Khelif] Must go and compete with men.”
‘Make a statement to the world’
All this begs the question: Why start a fight then? According to Kerawat, many other female boxers turned down the opportunity because of questions surrounding Khalif, who has not fought competitively since the Olympics.
The Hedgehog, for his part, sees no contradiction in complaining about safety and yet not feeling afraid.
“I’m here for the challenge,” she said. “I think the special thing about this fight is its reach, people are talking about it. It’s really something we would do to make a statement to the world. So it will definitely take us to new heights.”
While World Boxing, the amateur body, stipulates mandatory gender testing for its events, Khalif was granted her pro license by the French Boxing Federation, which did not require any testing.
The 26-year-old entered the French sports newspaper in February. L’EquipeThis has further emboldened his critics. However, in the same interview, she said that her differences were “natural”; that he has reduced his testosterone levels; And he sent his medical records to World Boxing but received no response.
Igel said, “If she really is 100% female, she can fight in the women’s game.” “If not, he should stop being so loud about it.”
DW has contacted Khalif for comment through his promoter and PR company.
Hedgehog: I can defeat the Caliph
In contrast to her debutant opponent, Igel has had seven professional bouts, winning five (four by knockout) and losing two, her most recent defeat being on points to American Stephanie Simon in Los Angeles.
The former kickboxer, who took up combat sports in his Swiss hometown for a “safe space” during his parents’ divorce, has enjoyed a steady rise in Kerwatt’s patronage since the pair met in a Berlin gym two years ago.
It’s the biggest fight of Igel’s career so far, although he says Khalif will be feeling the effects.
“There’s a lot of pressure on her because the boxing world is not happy to see her in pro boxing with women,” Igel said. “So this is what we’re going to use, because I think the world is on our side.”
As part of her preparation for the bout, Khalifeh had a training match against French boxer Davina Michel, who competes in a higher weight class. But Igel, who is giving up eight centimeters (3.15 inches) to Caliph, is confident of victory.
“I’ve got it all,” she said. “I have skill, I have power, I have accuracy, and there’s something inside me that if I open up and let it free, it doesn’t matter who’s in front of me.”
Edited by: Chuck Penfold