Khelif’s first professional fight in Paris postponed due to injury

Olympic champion Imane Khelif’s upcoming professional boxing fight in Paris originally scheduled for later this month has been postponed ​after the Algerian sustained an injury in training, tournament ‌organisers said on Monday.

Khelif was due to face German boxer Julia Ige on April 23 at Salle Wagram, but the fight will be ​rescheduled after a clinical examination found she was suffering ​from a painful syndrome in her left shoulder that ⁠causes functional limitation, the organisers said in a press release.

“Due ​to the intensity of the biomechanical stresses involved in high-level boxing, ​the medical team deemed the athlete’s condition temporarily incompatible with competition,” the statement said.

The event, which was also set to feature two bouts for ​World Boxing Association titles, has been postponed in its entirety.

“The ​health and physical well-being of our athletes remain our top priority,” the ‌promoter ⁠Brahim Asloum said in a statement.

Organisers said a new date would be announced soon in coordination with the WBA, adding that ticket holders for the original date will be refunded.

Khelif has ​not competed at ​official events since ⁠winning gold in the women’s welterweight division at the Paris Games in 2024 amid a gender ​dispute over her eligibility, after the International Boxing ​Association disqualified ⁠her from the 2023 World Championships based on sex chromosome tests.

World Boxing, which will oversee boxing competitions at the 2028 Olympics ⁠in Los ​Angeles after being granted provisional recognition ​by the IOC, last May announced mandatory sex testing for all boxers in ​its competitions.