Algeria: Olympic gold medalist boxer Imane Khelif has been celebrated as a hero upon her return to her hometown.

In Algeria, a country passionate about football, Khelif has received widespread admiration since she arrived back in Algiers earlier this week.

This was especially evident in Tiaret, the largely rural area in central Algeria where she was raised and first learned to box.

At the city offices, Khelif was honored with flowers and framed certificates.

August 16, 2024

"Algerians deserve happiness and a reason to celebrate. I hope we'll have more opportunities to bring them joy," Khelif said.

As Khelif progressed through the Olympic Games, Algerians staunchly supported her amid international scrutiny and uninformed speculation about her gender.

Despite being born and raised as a woman, she became entangled in Western debates about gender, sex, and sports after failing unspecified and opaque eligibility tests for women's competition conducted by the now-banned International Boxing Association in 2023.

When prominent figures, including billionaire Elon Musk, author J.K. Rowling, and former U.S. President Donald Trump, misidentified her as a man in online posts, Algerians viewed the controversy as an affront to their nation.

On Friday, Tiaret residents recognized the challenges Khelif faced during the Olympics and expressed hope that her success would be just the beginning.

Khelif has filed a lawsuit in Paris against several high-profile individuals, including Musk and Rowling, for spreading false claims and engaging in gender-related defamation.