Paris: Govt, CONI concerned at Carini's opponent Khelif (4)

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 31 - The Italian government and the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Thursday expressed concern about the fact Italy's Angela Carini is set to face Imane Khelif, an Algerian who was disqualified from last year's women's boxing championships for failing gender-eligibility tests, at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has used a different set of rules for admission to the Paris 2024 tournament and has also allowed Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu‑ting to compete after she was banned from the 2023 world championships too.
    Carini is set to face Khelif in the round of 16 of the women's welterweight (under 66kg) category.
    Without specifically mentioning Khelif, CONI said that it has "taken action with the International Olympic Committee to ensure that the rights of all athletes comply with the Olympic Charter and health regulations".
    Family and Equal Opportunities Minister Eugenia Roccella went further.
    "It is of great concern to learn that two transgender people, men who identify as women, were admitted to women's boxing competitions at the Olympic Games in Paris after having been excluded from recent competitions," Roccella said.
    "It is surprising that there are no certain, strict, uniform criteria at the international level, and that there can be a suspicion, and far more than a suspicion, of an unfair and potentially dangerous contest for one of the contenders at the Olympics, an event that symbolizes sporting fairness".
    Sports Minister Andrea Abodi echoed those comments.
    "I find it difficult to understand that there is no alignment in the parameters of minimum hormonal values ;;at an international level, which includes the European and world championships and the Olympics," Abodi said.
    "In the event that represents the highest values ;;of sport, the safety of female and male athletes must be guaranteed, as well as respect for fair competition.
    "That is not how it will be tomorrow for Angela Carini." Carini, a 25-year-old from Naples, tried to remain unruffled.
    "I have to adapt to what the IOC has decided, so tomorrow I will go into the ring and give it my all," she said.
    The Italian national boxing team, however, are concerned about what may happen in the bout, sources said, while Italian Boxing Federation (FPI) President Flavio D'Ambrosi is maintaining "an institutional silence". (ANSA).