Algerian boxer Imane Khelif clinches medal at Paris Olympics after gender outcry

Algeria’s Imane Khelif reacts prior the match against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the women’s 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on Aug. 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 03 August 2024
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Algerian boxer Imane Khelif clinches medal at Paris Olympics after gender outcry

  • Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram bout
  • She will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics

VILLEPINTE, France: Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria clinched a medal Saturday at the Paris Olympics following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender have exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.
Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram bout.
Khelif will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics.
Khelif was faced international scrutiny after the banned International Boxing Association claimed Khelif failed an unspecified eligibility test for women’s competition last year. She then won her opening bout Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.
The unusual ending became a sharp wedge to drive into an already prominent divide over gender identity and regulations in sports, drawing comments from the likes of former US President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” writer J.K. Rowling and others falsely claiming Khelif was a man or transgender.
At a Paris Games that has championed inclusion and seen other outcry over an opening ceremony performance featuring drag queens, LGBTQ+ groups say the hateful comments could pose dangers to their community and female athletes.
IOC President Thomas Bach on Saturday defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association, the now-banned former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests for the women’s competition.
Both had competed in IBA events for several years without problems, and the Russian-dominated body — which has faced years of clashes with the IOC over judging scandals, leadership decisions and financial issues — has refused to provide any information about the tests, underscoring its lack of transparency in nearly every aspect of its dealings, particularly in recent years.
“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said Saturday. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”
The IBA, which received the unprecedented punishment of being banned from Olympic participation in 2019 following years of conflict with the IOC, disqualified Khelif last year for what it said were elevated levels of testosterone.
The IBA, which is led by an acquaintance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not released more details on the tests, calling the process confidential.
“What we see now is that some want to own the definition of who is a woman,” Bach added. “And there I can only invite them to come up with a scientific-based new definition of who is a woman, and how can somebody being born, raised, competed and having a passport as a woman cannot be considered a woman?
“If they are coming up with something, we are ready to listen,” Bach added. “We are ready to look into it, but we will not take part in a sometimes politically motivated cultural war.”
Khelif will clinch at least a bronze medal in her second Olympics after failing to medal at the Tokyo Games held in 2021.
Khelif will face Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the 66-kg semifinals on Tuesday at Roland Garros. Suwannpheng, a silver medalist at last year’s world championships, upset defending Olympic champion Busenaz Surmeneli a few minutes before Khelif’s victory.
Lin, also a two-time Olympian, will clinch her first medal Sunday if she beats Svetlana Staneva of Bulgaria. Lin won her opening bout Friday comfortably over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova.
Amid the scrutiny, both Khelif and Lin have received only cheers from the crowds at North Paris Arena.
“What is going on in this context in the social media, with all this hate speech, with all this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” Bach said.
The reduced field at the Paris Olympics boxing tournament — which has the fewest number of total boxers since 1956 — means that many fighters can clinch medals with just two victories. Boxing awards two bronze medals in each weight class, which means every semifinalist wins a medal.
The Olympic sport reached gender parity for the first time in Paris, inviting 124 men and 124 women just 12 years after women’s boxing made its Olympic debut.


Italy beat Israel in Nations League

Updated 10 September 2024
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Italy beat Israel in Nations League

BUDAPEST: Italy continued their post-Euro 2024 recovery on Monday with a tight 2-1 Nations League win over Israel in Budapest.

Goals in each half from Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean were enough for Italy to win in a subdued atmosphere at the Bozsik Arena which hosted the Israel home fixture due to the security situation in the Middle East.

Luciano Spalletti’s team have reacted well to their disastrous European Championship title defense, which ended at the last-16 stage, and were deserved winners on a soaking night in the Hungarian capital.

The crowd of 2,000 fans meant Monday’s match didn’t have the feel of a senior international match, with the main off-pitch event coming during Israel’s national anthem ahead of kick-off, when a small group of Italy fans turned their backs to the pitch.

The Azzurri were slow starters as they were in Friday’s 3-1 win over France in Paris, but were not punished by Israel and grew into the match.

By the time Frattesi chested home Federico Dimarco’s pinpoint cross in the 38th minute, his sixth international goal since Spalletti replaced Roberto Mancini just over a year ago, Italy were firmly on top.

Sagiv Jehezkel should have levelled for Israel just after half-time when he failed to divert Dor Peretz’s scuffed shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma from close range.

But in the 62nd minute Fiorentina striker Kean scored his first Italy goal in almost exactly three years to seal the points, with Mohamed Abu Fani’s strike in the final minute too late for Israel to mount a comeback.


France beat Belgium with Kolo Muani and Dembele goals

Updated 10 September 2024
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France beat Belgium with Kolo Muani and Dembele goals

LYON: Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele scored the goals as France bounced back from a home loss to Italy at the weekend by beating Belgium 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Monday.

It was not a full-strength French team that took to the field for the game in Lyon, with captain Kylian Mbappe dropping out as one of eight changes made by coach Didier Deschamps.

France lost 3-1 to Italy in Paris on Friday despite taking the lead inside 13 seconds, while Belgium came into this match fresh from beating Israel by the same scoreline.

This game was a repeat of the Euro 2024 last-16 tie which France won 1-0 in Duesseldorf thanks to a late own goal.

Les Bleus went ahead here just before the half-hour mark, Kolo Muani applying the finish after Dembele’s mishit shot was pushed out by Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels.

A Belgian side captained by Kevin De Bruyne could not find an equalizer and France scored again on 57 minutes thanks to a fine individual effort by Dembele.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger skipped inside from the right wing before blasting a shot into the net on his left foot.

Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Michael Olize were among the players who came off the bench for France in the second half, as they saw out a victory which will boost confidence after the disappointing defeat by Italy.

The Italians are on top of Group A2 with six points out of six after beating Israel 2-1 on Monday.

France and Belgium have three points apiece, while Israel are bottom without a point.

The next matches are in October, including Italy playing Belgium in Rome, and Israel meeting France on neutral territory in Budapest.


De Silva hails hundred hero Nissanka as Sri Lanka end England drought

Updated 09 September 2024
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De Silva hails hundred hero Nissanka as Sri Lanka end England drought

  • Nissanka made 127 not out as Sri Lanka cruised to the target of 219, before lunch on the fourth day as they won third Test by eight wickets
  • The victory was a significant moment for Sri Lanka whose last Test-match win over England was a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014

LONDON: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said Pathum Nissanka had proved himself the “best batsman” in the country after the opener’s superb century at the Oval helped the team end their 10-year wait for a Test win over England.
Nissanka made 127 not out as Sri Lanka cruised to the target of 219, before lunch on the fourth day as they won the third Test by eight wickets. England took the three-match series 2-1 after victories at Old Trafford (by five wickets) and Lord’s (by 190 runs).
The victory was a significant moment for Sri Lanka whose last Test-match win over England was a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014.
“This is one of the happiest moments in my career and my life,” said de Silva.
“We had a tough time in the last two weeks so to come here and get a win in English conditions against an English team, it is a very good moment for me, my team, and my country as well.”
The victory was a personal triumph for Nissanka, who only returned to Test cricket following a two-year exile at Lord’s. The 26-year-old was named player-of-the-match after also making a fine 64 in Sri Lanka’s first innings at the Oval.
“The moment he came in, he proved he is the best batsman in Sri Lanka right now,” said De Silva.
England captain Ollie Pope, meanwhile, admitted his side “shot ourselves in the foot” after two poor batting displays cost them the chance of a first home Test sweep since 2004 after a rejuvenated team overwhelmed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season.
Pope, on his Surrey home ground, scored his first century since stepping as skipper for the injured Ben Stokes at the start of this series.
Despite his 154, England declined from 261-3 to 325 all out in their first innings. Worse followed as they were dismissed for a mere 156 in just 34 overs second time around.
“It’s been disappointing, on the third day we shot ourselves in the foot,” said Pope.
“With the bat we weren’t good enough and, in the second innings, we weren’t up to it.”
When play resumed on Monday, Sri Lanka needed only 125 more runs for victory, while England required nine wickets.
Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson showed the strain of playing six Tests in a relatively short space of time, while the 20-year-old duo Josh Hull and Shoaib Bashir never threatened to derail Sri Lanka’s run chase.
Atkinson, who had been carrying a quad injury, was subsequently withdrawn from the one-day squad to face Australia, with Olly Stone taking his place.
Atkinson, a 26-year-old Surrey quick, made his debut during England great James Anderson’s international farewell in July and has enjoyed a sensational start to his Test career, taking 34 wickets in six matches at an average of just 20.17.
Atkinson appears set for a key role during England’s tour of Pakistan next month, with county colleague Pope saying: “Obviously there’s a few of our guys carrying a few small injuries but credit to them on the way they fronted up and cracked on.”
Joe Root, who passed the England record of 33 Test centuries held by Alastair Cook with twin hundreds at Lord’s, tried to put Monday’s loss in context by telling the BBC: “I don’t think we played our best cricket this week and that is going to happen from time to time.
“Coldplay can’t be number one every week.”


Mancini says Saudi Falcons ready for match against China in Asian 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Updated 09 September 2024
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Mancini says Saudi Falcons ready for match against China in Asian 2026 World Cup qualifiers

RIYADH: Saudi national football team manager Roberto Mancini spoke at a press conference on Monday about the Green Team’s preparations for the upcoming match against China in the second round of the third stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

He said: “The Chinese team has a good squad despite their recent loss against the Japanese team. I expect that the Chinese team will be better than the last match tomorrow, so we must be prepared well and take advantage of all opportunities.

“We are training intensively on scoring, and we must continue to create opportunities. I am confident that we will make better use of chances in the upcoming matches.

“Our match against the Chinese national team will be different for both teams. I hope our performance will be the same as it was in the second half of the last match and that we will create opportunities and score.”

Player Saleh Al-Shehri also addressed the match, saying: “It will be a tough match. We must be well-prepared tomorrow and work hard because the match will not be easy.”


Dubai Duty Free joins inaugural Dubai Premier Padel P1 as official sponsor

Updated 09 September 2024
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Dubai Duty Free joins inaugural Dubai Premier Padel P1 as official sponsor

  • The world’s best male and female players will compete this November at Dubai’s first Premier Padel event

DUBAI: Gallop Global, the organizer of this November’s first-ever Dubai Premier Padel P1 tournament, has confirmed Dubai Duty Free as the official sponsor of the inaugural event.

With the first-ever Dubai Premier Padel P1 event taking place Nov. 3-10 at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Garhoud, the sponsorship agreement will see the emirate’s new padel tournament team up with the brand synonymous with several international sporting competitions, including the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Part of the newly unified 25-event Premier Padel tour, which spans 18 countries across five continents this year, Dubai Premier Padel P1 will feature the world’s top male and female players contesting a prize pool of €470,000 (1.89 million dirhams). As a top-ranked P1 classified tournament, the sport’s leading male and female players are obligated to compete.

Dubai Duty Free already owns and organizes the city’s annual ATP and WTA events since their inception more than 30 years ago. Horse racing has also played a key role in the company’s sponsorship strategy and continues to hold a prominent position in a world-class global portfolio that includes tennis, golf, rugby and basketball.

“Bringing together Dubai Duty Free and Dubai Premier Padel P1 is a significant milestone for our inaugural event,” said Ivan Modia, tournament Director and CEO of Gallop Global. “Dubai Duty Free has decades of experience collaborating with major sporting associations and events, which we plan to leverage in our efforts to optimize the city’s inaugural Premier Padel event. Partners such as Dubai Duty Free empower our ambitious plans to elevate Dubai’s P1 event to a marquee position on the global padel calendar, underscored by memorable experience for fans and athletes alike.”

Ramesh Cidambi, managing director of Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are pleased to further expand our diverse sponsorship portfolio through this alliance with Dubai Premier Padel P1. As padel’s popularity in the UAE and around the world continues to grow, we are committed to playing our part in cementing Dubai as a leading destination on the international padel calendar, in line with the city’s already established reputation for hosting major global sporting events.”

The week-long tournament, which will take place under the patronage of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Sports Council, is a collaborative effort supported by the UAE Padel Association, the Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Sports Council, Premier Padel and Gallop Global.