Never doubted Khelif is a woman - Bach

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 3 - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Saturday told a press conference he never had any doubt that Imane Khelif is a woman amid a major controversy over Thursday's women's boxing match at Paris 2024 between Khelif and Italy's Angela Carini.
    Also referring to Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, Boch said "we have two boxers who were born women, who grew up as women, who have passports as women and who have competed as women for years.
    "This is a clear definition of a woman", said IOC's president, stressing the position expressed Friday to ANSA after meeting with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni over the Carini-Khelif case.
    Both boxers were disqualified from their championships in 2023 after the International Boxing Association said they failed gender eligibility testing "What we are seeing now is that some want to take possession of the definition of woman.
    "I urge these people to provide us with a scientific definition of what it means to be a woman.
    "But we won't contribute to political debates and inciting hatred on social media is unacceptable", said Boch.
    Carini, 25, from Naples, stopped fighting seconds into round of 16 women's welterweight (under 66kg) contest saying the first punch she suffered hurt too much and it was clear she was outpowered.
    The IOC has used a different set of rules for admission to the Paris 2024 tournament than those for the women's boxing world championships.
    Meloni said Thursday that the Carini-Khelif match was not a fair fight and women should not have to compete against opponents with "male genetic characteristics". (ANSA).