Italian boxing champion Gianmarco Cardillo has publicly revealed that he has been feeling like a woman for the past 15 days and has expressed a desire to fight Algerian Imane Khelif. This announcement follows Khelif's controversial victory in the 1/8 finals of the Olympic tournament in Paris, where she defeated Cardillo's compatriot, Angela, in just 46 seconds. Angela cited the severity of Khelif's punches as the reason for her decision to stop the match to avoid further injury.

Khelif, one of the two female boxers with male chromosomes permitted by the IOC to compete against women at the Games, has sparked significant controversy. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic voiced his disapproval, stating, "Men come, beat women, and take medals. Madness has started to rule the world and everyone has gone crazy," reports bTV.

Imane Khelif's aunt, Nadia, has also spoken out against the criticism. Appearing on Nova TV, she defended Khelif, asserting, "I think what's happening is a great injustice to an athlete of her stature. They are unfairly targeting her. She underwent medical tests which revealed atypical results for a woman, but she is not to blame for this. She is not a man."

Nadia recounted that Khelif, who has been passionate about boxing since a young age, faced no issues until recently. Despite a successful career abroad and winning numerous awards, she encountered significant controversy starting with the World Boxing Championships in India last year. "We didn’t understand why this was happening. She started from scratch but was expelled from the tournament. We were disgusted and confused by this setback," Nadia said.

She added that Khelif is struggling emotionally but remains composed and focused. "Imane is a true athlete, supported by her family and the entire Algerian nation. However, she is deeply affected by these events. If she didn’t have this support, she might have crumbled," Nadia explained.

Nadia concluded by emphasizing that the situation feels like a deliberate attempt to undermine Khelif's achievements. "She shines like a star, and it feels like they want to bring her down. This is a tremendous blow to our family and reflects a huge injustice," she said.