Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has announced a significant new step in her career. Fresh off her win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she made history as the first Algerian woman to claim a boxing gold medal, Khelif is now setting her sights on the world of professional boxing. She revealed her plans at a press conference, stating her intention to enter the professional circuit and sharing that multiple offers are already on the table. Khelif mentioned, “Currently, I have not made up my mind about where I will enter professional boxing,” but emphasized her desire to elevate Algerian representation in the sport.
The 25-year-old boxer’s Olympic journey wasn’t without its controversies. During the summer games, Khelif faced backlash and misinformation spread about her gender eligibility to compete. Critics pointed to her previous ban from last year’s world championships by the IBA for not meeting their gender criteria. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) criticized those standards as flawed and has since barred the IBA over governance and other issues.
Despite the challenges, Khelif dominated the women’s welterweight competition, not losing a single round and ultimately defeating China’s Yang Liu. Now, with a documentary in the works detailing her journey, she aims to continue breaking barriers and inspiring others, particularly young women, to reach new heights. “We as Algerians would like to see our level in the field of professionalism,” she concluded.
