Robert Griffin III defends Algerian boxer Imane Khelif: 'You should protect her'

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has received significant backlash for competing in women’s boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with many questioning Khelif’s gender. On Friday, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III weighed in on the hot-button issue.

“This is one of the most cruel and unfair situations I’ve ever seen happen at the Olympics,” Griffin said. “I did my research, so buckle up. Imane Khelif is not a transgender woman or a biological man. Imane Khelif is a woman. She was born that way and has identified that way her entire life.

“In a country like Algeria, they would never allow a transgender woman to represent them at the Olympics. Khelif has been competing in boxing in women’s categories since she was a child because she’s a woman, and even competed in the Tokyo Olympics.”

Claims against Khelif heightened after her previous opponent, Italian boxer Angela Carini, withdrew and forfeited her match against Khelif after only 46 seconds in the ring. After the match, Carini claimed the bout was “unfair.”

Since then, Carini has publicly apologized. However, many people online used Carini’s comments as fuel to criticize Khelif despite a lack of factual evidence. As Griffin mentioned, Khelif was born a biological female and her passport states she is such.

In 2023, Khelif reached the final of the 2023 world championships before being abruptly disqualified by the IBA (International Boxing Association). The IBA claimed Khelif did not meet gender requirements. Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Tang was also disqualified under the same rule.

On Thursday, the Paris Olympics Boxing Unit and the International Olympic Committee released a statement regarding the two athletes’ previous disqualification.

“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years,” the statement read.

Griffin further addressed the IBA’s past grievances with Khelif.

“The IBA has nothing to do with the Olympics anymore, and that’s because the IBA has been flooded with corruption, had a lack of financial transparency and [had] countless instances of corruption within the refereeing and the judging,” Griffin said.

“Khelif should not be a part of your political narratives. She should not be used to push your own agendas. And if you’re trying to protect women, or protect your daughters, you should be protecting Khelif. And if you’re not going to do the research, then you’re the one that we need protection from.”