KUALA LUMPUR: "Imane Khelif is a real woman."
That is the opinion of a physiology lecturer at the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Prof Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar on the controversy surrounding the masculine looking Algerian female boxer competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Yesterday, her Italian opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew from the match after being overwhelmed within the first 40 seconds of the round.
She is among the 16 competing in the women's welterweight event.
"The question is, is she a transgender athlete? Is she eligible to compete if she is not transgender but categorised as having Differences in Sex Development? Imane Khelif was raised as a female and registered as a female. Therefore, she is not transgender. She consistently participates in women's events.
"However, in the gender qualification test by the International Boxing Association in 2023, her genetic test reportedly showed XY chromosomes. I think this gender qualification test has become more aggressive after many female athletes protested against male athletes competing in women's events.
"Expert opinions state that Imane Khelif's situation might fall under the category of DSD 46 XY with a deficiency of 5-alpha-reductase hormone (alpha reductase deficiency or ARD). XY DSD 5-ARD," said Rafidah in a statement shared on her Facebook page.
She explained that body or androgen changes can occur in individuals experiencing such situations, similar to what Imane goes through.
"Individuals with DSD 5-ARD may have female or ambiguous genitalia at birth, leading them to be raised as females.
"However, during puberty, they experience high androgen levels, known as hyperandrogenism, which also causes increased testosterone levels. This gives them physical advantages similar to males in terms of anatomy, such as muscles and bones," she said.
Previously, the International Olympic Committee issued a statement defending their decision to allow two female boxers, including Imane, to compete in the Paris Olympics despite ongoing gender disputes.