Janjaem Suwannapheng, the Thai boxer, is set to face Algerian fighter Imane Khelif on Tuesday evening. She has spoken out ahead of their highly anticipated bout.
Recently, Khelif faced criticism regarding her alleged gender ineligibility after beating Angela Carini in a 46-second match.
Immediately, Khelif was at the center of a media storm, questioning whether she was a man. Currently, Khelif has a match with Janjaem Suwannapheng, adding further tension to this Olympic bout.
Khelif faced controversy after beating Angela Carini
Imane Khelif, a 25-year-old boxer, was disqualified from IBA competitions in late 2023 after reportedly failing undisclosed “gender eligibility tests.”
Despite this setback, Khelif’s rapid victory over Angela Carini at the start of the Olympics brought her back into the spotlight. She defeated the Italian in just 46 seconds.
Khelif responded after being accused of failing to address the gender controversy
Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 Boxing World Championships after failing a gender eligibility test.
However, IOC president Thomas Bach issued a strong statement supporting Khelif’s inclusion in the women’s competition.
Additionally, Imane Khelif’s father also defended his daughter, despite the gender controversy she faced.
In a recent statement, he expressed his frustration, saying, “The attacks against her are immoral, it is not fair. Imane has loved sports since she was six years old. These critics aim to destabilize her and prevent her from becoming the champion she aspires to be.”
He urged his daughter to prove her critics wrong and to bring honor to Algeria and the Arab world. “I hope she will honor Algeria and Tiaret and win the gold medal. She is our role model,” he added.
Recently, Suwannapheng addressed her upcoming confrontation with Khelif.
Ahead of the semi-final clash, Suwannapheng expressed confidence in her chances against Khelif. Reflecting on her previous defeat to Khelif at the 2023 IBA World Championships, Suwannapheng told Thai newspaper Khaosod, “I’ve improved since then and I’ll fight with all I’ve got.”
In an interview with the media, Suwannapheng closely examined Khelif’s situation.
Suwannapheng noted that Khelif has lost to female boxers before. However, she remains uncertain about any hormonal changes.
“I’ve prepared my body well too, trained a lot,” she said. “No matter how strong or tough, we’re both human, we both have two fists.”
Suawannaphend added: ‘I’ve looked into it too, about her hormones, and I know she’s lost to female boxers before, but that was a long time ago.
‘I’m not sure if she’s got stronger or if her male hormones have increased. But if we meet again, I’m not afraid because we’re evenly matched.
‘I’ve prepared my body well too, trained a lot. I just think, no matter how strong or tough, we’re both human, we both have two fists.
‘Having come this far, I want to go all the way to the gold medal.’
Previously, Khelif claimed, ‘I’m a woman’ after gender eligibility controversy
Following her emotional victory over Harmoni, where she declared, “I am a woman,” Khelif gave her first interview since the controversy began.
She urged Olympic fans to stop bullying athletes.
“It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind,” Khelif stated. “I ask them to refrain from bullying.”
In short, Suwannapheng’s confidence and Khelif’s resilience will be on full display as they vie for Olympic glory.