EXCLUSIVE/ India's Dutee Chand makes her stand clear on Imane Khelif amid gender controversy at Paris Olympics

India's sprinter Dutee Chand has weighed in on the gender controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif at the Paris Olympics 2024. Speaking to Republic Media Network on Saturday, Chand expressed her views on the ongoing debate about Khelif's eligibility to compete in the women's category.

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Dutee Chand clears stand on Imane Khelif controversy

On Thursday, Italy’s 66kg boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her bout against Algeria’s Imane Khelif after just 46 seconds, citing the strength of Khelif's punches. Carini’s withdrawal brought attention to Khelif, who is one of the two boxers permitted to compete at the Paris Olympics despite failing a gender eligibility test at the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) World Championships in New Delhi in March last year.

Dutee Chand, who has faced similar scrutiny in her career, defended Imane Khelif's right to compete. "You cannot analyze by looking at somebody whether they are male or female. They are now calling her a man. If she is a man, how come she has been competing in the women's category all this long?" Chand questioned.

Referring to her own experiences, Dutee Chand highlighted the outdated and discriminatory nature of gender testing in sports. "The IOC rule was that if a woman has higher levels of testosterone then she can't compete, the rule that I challenged in 2014. IOC used to say that too much male hormones in women may help them physically. But I proved to them that it didn't give any extra strength when I filed a case against them in 2014 at Switzerland's Court of Arbitration for Sport. It was proved that higher testosterone levels in athletes have no effect and that is why I was allowed to play," she said.

Dutee Chand, who has competed in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, World Championships, and Asian Games, drew parallels between her situation and Imane Khelif's. "The same questions are being raised again. If she has higher hormone levels then how come she lost nine competitions in the past? I don't find these accusations right," she asserted.

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Dutee Chand further stated that controversy like this also affects the mental well-being of the athlete. She slammed people for trolling Imane Khelif on social media platforms and urged the federation and her government to support her.