After British author JK Rowling, known for creating the acclaimed Harry Potter series, and businessman Elon Musk, Bollywood actor-politician Kangana Ranaut has also commented on the controversy surrounding the recent women’s 66kg boxing match between Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Italy’s Angela Carini at the ongoing Paris Olympics.
Just 46 seconds into her Round of 16 bout against Khelif, Carini had withdrawn herself from the match after receiving a severe blow to her face. “I am heartbroken. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this. I got into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m going out with my head held high,” she told reporters later.
While victories and defeats are common in sports, this incident gained significant attention as Khelif had reportedly failed a gender-eligibility test conducted by the International Boxing Agency during the world championships in India last year. At that time, she did not meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria. Even Taiwan’s double-world champion Lin Yu-ting’s bronze medal at the Delhi event was revoked for failing the same criteria. According to IBA president Umar Kremlev, their DNA tests “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded”. XY is the male chromosome, while XX is the female one. However, both boxers were allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics as the IBA is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The committee maintains that both boxers passed its eligibility test but has not explained the specifics.
On Thursday, Kangana shared a picture on her Instagram stories showing Carini on her knees, weeping, and likened Khelif’s victory punches to a man attacking a woman in a physical abuse scenario. She wrote, “This girl had to fight a 7 feet tall naturally born male, who has all body parts like a natural male, he looks and behaves like a man, he beat her in the boxing ring like a male beats a female in physical abuse scenario but he says he identifies as a female so guess who won the women’s boxing match? Woke culture is the most unfair and unjust practice. Speak up before it’s your baby girl whose job or medal taken away #SaveWomensSports (sic).”
However, the BJP parliamentarian from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, soon shared another Instagram story expressing her “love” for those who identify as homosexuals and addressing the societal pressures they face, hinting at her selective embrace of queer rights. “So basically to be able to have a woke relationship (homosexual relationship) one partner must play female role and the other one must play a male role. They love to play stereotypical male female archetypes but simultaneously encourage regular women to be masculine and men to be effeminate in the name of feminism. Hmmm… strange!!
“Honestly I love homosexuals some of my closest friends are homosexuals and they are very talented and exceptionally brilliant that’s why I think they don’t have to imitate anyone for acceptance they don’t need to play cheap atrocious inauthentic copies of men or women. They are super brilliant, they should come out exactly the way God made them, there should not be any need to be in denial of your natural self, they must accept themselves and should focus on shining in every field and not be overtly frivolous or sexual, they must bring dignity and value to their community. They deserve better and we must make a safe world for them where they can be their natural authentic self and get equal opportunities (sic),” she wrote.
Joint Paris 2024 Boxing Unit/IOC Statementhttps://t.co/22yVzxFuLd pic.twitter.com/fZvgsW8OOi
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) August 1, 2024
Amid divisive responses to the controversy, International Olympic Association has taken a bold stance on the issue, saying it stands for human rights of all athletes. “Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination,” it said. “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU),” they said in the statement.
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