August 22, 2025

Algerian Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif is not throwing in the towel just yet! The women’s 66kg boxing champion from the Paris Games is smashing rumors about quitting her sport. This week, French media Nice Matin reported that Khelif had "hung up her gloves". But was it a permanent goodbye or just a pause? The truth is, she’s still very much in the fight. At 26, Khelif fired back strongly on her Facebook page, saying, "I would like to make it clear to the public that the reports of my retirement from boxing are false." She didn’t stop there. She called out her former manager, Nasser Yesfah, accusing him of "betraying (her) trust and (her) country with his false and malicious statements." Ouch! "This person no longer represents me in any way," she declared. Khelif made it clear she never announced retirement. "I remain committed to my sporting career," she said. She’s training hard, splitting time between Algeria and Qatar, gearing up for new battles in the ring. “These rumors are spreading only to disrupt and insult my athletic and professional career,” she explained passionately. "I will always remain loyal to the sport of boxing and my homeland Algeria, and this false news will not deter me from continuing to defend and honor the colors of my country in international contests," Khelif concluded with pride. The stakes are high with the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool coming up from September 4 to 14. The entry deadline looms on Monday, and all eyes are on whether Khelif will step into the ring again. After shining at the Olympics, she's fired up to keep her golden streak alive. Watch this space for the next knockout chapter in Imane Khelif’s thrilling journey!

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: Imane khelif, Algerian boxer, Olympics, Boxing retirement rumors, World boxing championships, Paris games,