Italian boxer who withdrew from fight with Imane Khelif within 46 seconds, amid eligibility row, reveals she wants to APOLOGISE to her opponent

Italian boxer Angela Carini has announced that she wants to apologize to her opponent Imane Khelif after she pulled out of their Olympic bout with 46 seconds to spare.

Algeria’s Khelif defeated Carini in the opening round of the women’s welterweight tournament in Paris on Thursday, after delivering two hard blows.

Carini later admitted that her decision to retire was necessary to “save my life,” after explaining that she had “never felt such a blow” as Khelif’s.

Khelif’s participation in the Games has been a source of controversy after she was disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships. Her victory on Thursday has further fueled the controversy, prompting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to defend her right to compete.

Carini joined those who expressed their condolences to Khelif and admitted she regretted her behaviour after the match, including refusing to shake hands with her opponent.

Carini retired from the match within 46 seconds and was in tears after her defeat

Khelif’s (left) victory was hugely controversial after she was disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships due to her elevated testosterone levels

“All this controversy makes me sad,” she told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I also feel sorry for my opponent. If the IOC has said she can fight, then I respect that decision.”

“It was not my intention (by not shaking hands),” Carini said.

“I actually want to apologize to her and everyone. I was angry because my Olympics went up in smoke.”

‘(I would) hug her (if I met her again).’

Carini was punched twice by Khelif in the opening round of their women’s welterweight bout in Paris.

The blows appeared to knock off the Italian boxer’s chin strap, sending the fighter running to her corner.

Carini returned to the center of the ring and left the match, with Khelif being declared the winner.

The Italian boxer, who claimed before the match that she could “only adapt to the rules of the Olympic Games”, was subsequently seen crying in the middle of the ring after the match’s abrupt end.

She later said: ‘It could have been the match of my life, but I also had to save my life at that moment.’

Carini said she regretted her refusal to shake Khelif’s hand after the fight

Carini was hit twice and said her withdrawal was necessary to ‘save my life’

After being cleared to compete in Paris alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting (who was also disqualified from last year’s world championship), the Olympic website reported that Khelif had been disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) because her elevated testosterone levels did not meet eligibility criteria.

Along with Yu-Tin, who won her opening bout via unanimous decision on Friday, IBA president Umar Kremlev – who officiated the competition – said further DNA testing had “proven they had XY chromosomes”. In short, that they were classified as “biologically male”.

On the eve of the Khelif-Carini row on Thursday, the IBA released a statement clarifying why the Algerian and Yu-Tin had been disqualified from last year’s world championships.

Reference was made to an “accurate” assessment that was “extremely important and necessary to maintain the level of fairness and integrity of the competition”.

The letter added that no testosterone tests were conducted, but “a separate and recognized test, the details of which remain confidential.” That test “conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and that they had a competitive advantage over other female competitors.”

The IBA said the ban was also based on tests carried out at the 2022 World Boxing Championships and, significantly, said Khelif had withdrawn an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, making the decision legally binding.

In a dig at the IOC, they expressed “concerns about the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting bodies, including those overseeing the Olympic Games.” “The IOC’s differing rules on these matters raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athlete safety,” they added.

Carini revealed that she would hug Khelif if they met again in the future

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting was disqualified from the world championships along with Khelif, but she was also allowed to compete in Paris and won her opening match on Friday

Khelief has always been involved in women’s boxing and the IOC had to defend her further in a statement on Friday.

“The Algerian boxer was born as a woman, was registered as a woman, lived her life as a woman, boxed as a woman and has a woman’s passport,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams.

Khelif is now set to face Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games on Saturday afternoon.