’Khelif is a man’: Former sparring partner’s shocking claims on Olympic champion boxer, says ‘has some kind of…’

Joana Nwamerue, who fought against Imane Khelif during a sparring match in Bulgaria, has made shocking claims about the Olympic champion boxer who faced intense scrutiny over her biological sex and gender identity.

Nwamerue, Bulgarian-Nigerian woman boxer, has claimed that (Khelif) has some kind of internal issues, but he is a man.

“I will stay [by] my words until he/she does a test to prove to the world that he/she is a woman. But we all know that won’t happen,” reported Reduxx quoting Nwamerue.

Stating that she played 3-4 sparring sessions, Nwamerue said, "(I) can confirm that this (Khelif) is a man to her. ‘Male power. Men’s techniques, everything’.” 

The Bulgarian-Nigerian boxer also claimed that [Khelif’s] teammates came to her and told her “Imane is not a man. She is a woman and just lives high in the mountains with her relatives and parents and so there may be a change in her testosterone or chromosomes and the like.”

At the recently held Paris Olympics, Khelif, won a gold medal for Algeria in women’s welterweight boxing.

However, hateful messages flooded on social media platforms and debate intensified after Italy’s Angela Carini, the opponent of Khelif, surrendered in the first round of their fight in Olympics, saying she had “never felt a punch like this.”

France has launched a cyberbullying probe following a complaint by Imane Khelif.

The investigation was opened Tuesday into "cyberharrassment" following the high-profile gender row at the Games, AFP quoted the Paris public prosecutor's office.

According to reports, Khelif has filed a complaint in France that named billionaire Elon Musk and author J.K. Rowling as among the high-profile figures to amplify the online attacks against her.

Last year, Khelif was disqualified from the world boxing championships after a controversial boxing association said she failed an eligibility test.