"Don't touch Imane Khelif!" Both on social media and at the official level, Algerians of all genders and ages are unanimously denouncing the attacks targeting their boxer and see the challenge to her femininity as a "hogra," a term designating injustice combined with contempt.

Italian boxer Angela Carini, who on Thursday, August 1, refused to greet Imane Khelif after throwing in the towel after 46 seconds, is being accused by online newspaper TSA of having wanted to "indirectly formulate the accusation that hasn't let go of the Algerian since the start of these Paris games, namely that she's... a man!"

Since then, the controversy has continued to swell, reinforced by comments from the likes of Elon Musk, Giorgia Meloni, Matteo Salvini and J. K. Rowling. Khelif's name is now being mentioned in the US presidential campaign by supporters of Donald Trump. It is a global storm that seems to leave the athlete unmoved but amplifies the support and identification of Algerians with the boxer.

"My first fight at the Olympic Games ended in a quick success against the Italian boxer. It's always satisfying to score a win in such an important competition but I remain focused on my goal of an Olympic medal before I find out who my opponent will be in the quarter-finals," she declared after qualifying.

In 2023, after her disqualification from the Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi for failing to pass the eligibility tests for participation in the women's category, she bitterly declared that "people conspired against Algeria so that our flag wouldn't be raised and the gold medal wouldn't go to Algeria." These words were bound to silence the conservative critics of women's sports in Algeria.

In the current chorus of support, Khelif received kind words from Ismaël Bennacer, a footballer at AC Milan, who, following comments from Italian officials, took offense at an "unjustified wave of hatred": "Her presence at the Olympic Games is quite simply the fruit of her talent and hard work," he said.

Before the fight against the Italian, Algerian Minister of Youth and Sports Abderrahmane Hammad had warned on social media platform X: "Imane Khelif is our daughter, our sister and champion. Imane Khelif is a red line. I strongly condemn the media harassment she has suffered at the hands of foreign parties. Carry on Imane, all of Algeria – its government and the people – is behind you." For its part, the Algerian Olympic Committee denounced "the false propaganda and immoral behavior toward our champion, Imane Khelif, by certain foreign media."

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