Tyson Fury’s boxing promoter Frank Warren has reignited the gender row that surrounded Imane Khelif at the Olympics this summer.
Tyson Fury’s boxing promoter Frank Warren has reignited the gender row that surrounded Imane Khelif at the Olympics this summer.
Khelif won gold in the women’s 66kg after beating Yang Liu during the Paris Games amid controversy.
The Algerian dominated the field throughout the Olympics but failed a gender test laid on by the International Boxing Association last year.
The organisation is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee, who do not force athletes to undergo the same tests.
Nevertheless, Umar Kremlev, president of the IBA, is alleged to have claimed that Khelif displayed XY chromosomes.
However, the 25-year-old’s father stepped in to provide evidence that Khelif was born a female.
And Warren, who promotes Anthony Joshua’s latest vanquisher Daniel Dubois as well as Fury, has had his say and insisted that it is not fair for Khelif to fight women.
“From what I’m told, Khelif is XY. So, Khelif should fight men,” Warren told the Telegraph.
“It can’t be fair otherwise.
“It’s not right, women having to fight against opponents who are physically stronger because they’re male.
“It’s not what sport should be about. You don’t hear about a woman becoming a man and then suddenly wanting to fight men, do you?”
Warren also went on to criticise the Olympics opening ceremony, which included a retelling of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting with drag queens.
The 71-year-old said: “I thought what they did there was dreadful.
“It was disgusting. I’m not a religious person, but you show respect.
“And all they did with Christianity was to show total disrespect. I don’t understand all these drag queens being on TV in any case.
“There’s nothing wrong with pantomime dames, but you turn it on now and it’s like watching Danny La Rue on speed.
“I tell you what, if one of my kids started identifying as a cat, I’d put them outside with a saucer of milk.
“I’m serious. You wonder about the parents who allow this.”