Sports

Khelif Announces Professional Debut in December After Olympic Gold

By AFP

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won welterweight gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has announced that she will make her professional boxing debut in Paris on December 15. The 27‑year‑old said at a news conference with coach Kamel Abdesselam and promoter Yacin Berrabah that she will face Clarida Sarabia in the super‑welterweight division. Khelif has not fought since her Olympic victory and had to postpone a return in April after a training injury. She added, “It’s been over two years since I last boxed, and I’ve really missed being in the ring. The last couple of years have been quite difficult. The time has come to turn professional, and I’m going to give it my all.” Abdesselam expressed confidence that Khelif could win a world title within three to five fights and compared her to Muhammad Ali, saying, “We want to put Imane on top of the world.” Khelif, who was at the center of a gender controversy at the 2024 Games, was born female but carries the SRY gene on the Y chromosome. In February she disclosed in an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe that she had undergone hormonal treatment to lower her testosterone levels before the Olympics.