Riley Gaines demands apology from Jemele Hill after leaked Imane Khelif report 'proves boxer is biological male'
Khelif, who captured women's welterweight gold for Algeria at last year's Olympic Games, was embroiled in controversy once again last week when a 2023 medical test which allegedly indicates the fighter carries male chromosomes was leaked.
The document, seen by 3 Wire Sports via Telegraph Sport, states: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype.'
Last summer, a year after being thrown out of the World Championships for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests, Khelif stormed to gold in the French capital in highly contentious fashion.
One of their opponents along the way, Italy's Angela Carini, infamously quit after just 46 seconds of their contest before refusing to shake Khelif's hand and breaking down in tears amid the question marks over their gender.
Carini later admitted she wanted to apologize to Khelif after the International Olympic Committee defended their right to compete, saying a few weeks later: 'I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.'
After a new report claiming Khelif is a biological male leaked last week, Gaines has told Hill to apologize for her post on X in 2024
At the time, Hill - who departed ESPN in 2018 after being suspended by the network for calling Donald Trump racist a year earlier - claimed on X that 'a lot of people need to apologize' to Khelif for questioning their gender.
'I hope Khelif sues some people over their reckless remarks,' she wrote alongside a screenshot of Carini's comments. 'All this story did was expose ugliness, hatred, and transphobia. As Carini admitted here, she quit because she was upset she was gonna get her a** whooped and other folks turned it into something else.'
However, in light of the leaked medical report which alleges that Khelif did carry male chromosomes in 2023, Gaines has told Hill to issue her own apology to Carini.
'Hey @jemelehill,' the conservative political activist and former college swimmer posted. 'We'll be waiting for your apology to Angel Carini — a woman who was punched in the face by a male who intended to knock her unconscious while the world watched, then labeled a coward by people like you for standing up against it.'
Amid the reignited gender dispute, Khelif broke cover in an Instagram post shared on Monday.
Yet the sporting star refused to acknowledge the furor surrounding the alleged chromosome analysis and instead focused on their role as a Unicef ambassador.
The post, celebrating Unicef's 'Global Day of Parents,' featured a photo of Khelif in a blue polo bearing the organization's logo as the boxer formed a heart with their hands.
In the lengthy caption, Khelif paid tribute to her own parents for supporting and standing by her.
'Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago,' she began. 'When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big. When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me.
'Being a parent isn't easy. There's no manual. But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything.
'On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to every parent who chooses, every single day, to be there for their children.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Latest: Trump says no to US troops in Ukraine
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Guard, didn't provide more details and said 'their presence is focused on supporting civil authorities and ensuring the safety of the community they serve.' ___
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Surprise Premier League star wins PFA Young Player of the Year - beating top-flight rivals including Liam Delap and Myles Lewis-Skelly
A surprise Premier League star has claimed the prestigious PFA Young Player of the Year award after a strong season in the English top flight and in Europe. Last season saw a number of young up-and-coming stars burnish their credentials in the top division, with a raft of boldface names making the short list for the award. Among them were Arsenal teenage talent Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Chelsea new boy Liam Delap, whose doomed heroics for relegated Ipswich Town helped him secure a blockbuster move to west London ahead of this summer's Club World Cup. Another Arsenal star in Ethan Nwaneri also made the cut, with newly minted Real Madrid star Dean Huijsen, and Liverpool 's new signing Milos Kerkez rounding out the pack. But the winner - as voted for by the association's membership - was instead Morgan Rogers, on the heels of his impressive campaign for Aston Villa. The 23-year-old was hotly pursued by Unai Emery following his break-out campaign for Middlesborough in 2023-24. Rogers beat out fellow short-listed nominees including Chelsea's Liam Delap and Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal But since his move to Villa Park, Rogers has proven he was everything the Spanish manager had hoped he was recruiting and more, scoring 14 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign, and registering a further 16 assists. Rogers also netted his first Champions League hat-trick in the Villans' 4-2 despatch of Celtic to reach the last 16 in January. However, Rogers' lightning quick transition to the Premier League could yet prove Aston Villa's undoing. The Manchester City academy graduate has attracted attention during the ongoing summer transfer window, with Chelsea thought to be particularly keen to reunite Rogers with his former youth team-mate - and last year's Young Player of the Year - Cole Palmer. Villa are so keen on keeping hold of their young starlet that Daily Mail Sport reported at the end of last month that the club are set to offer Rogers improved terms just one year on from signing his first deal. Rogers featured in the first match of Villa's Premier League campaign, a goalless draw against Newcastle. The starlet had been a doubt after picking up an injury in pre-season, but after training with Emery's squad in the build-up last week, Rogers was able to play the full 90 minutes at Villa Park. In the women's campaign, the PFA honour went to Arsenal's Olivia Smith, after the star completed her first season in English football last term. Once Canada's youngest senior international, Smith spent the 2024-25 campaign at Liverpool before booking a record-breaking move to their WSL rivals in North London.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Celtic pay your wages, so do your job! Rodgers calls for players to ignore the unsettling chaos of transfer window
It's not just the prospect of a 7,000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan next week which is offering Brendan Rodgers grounds for concern at this moment. While the addition of several serious operators would appear to be the minimum requirement for Celtic manager across the next fortnight, it's conceivable that the closing days of the transfer window may also see certain players moving in the opposite direction. The challenge which Kairat Almaty may pose Celtic is likely to be substantial enough across both legs of this Champions League play-off. Just as dangerous, from Rodgers' perspective, would be fielding players whose minds are not fully focused on the job at hand. Speculation linking Reo Hatate with a move has abounded for over a year. It will swirl around Daizen Maeda's head for as a long as he keeps a contact extension at arm's length. The same applies to Auston Trusty. No international defender can ever be content sitting on the bench. Adam Idah has also yet to consistently deliver in the manner of a Celtic striker. Until such time as any of their situations change, though, they will be Celtic players. And as Rodgers was quick to stress yesterday, that comes with a big responsibility. Reo Hatate is one Celtic player whose future continues to be the subject of conjecture 'I've been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking, are they staying, are they going?' he said. 'But in the midst of that, you've got really important games. 'So, I've already mentioned this to players a number of weeks back, just about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season. 'The money will be in your bank every month and it'll be from Celtic. And whilst it is, you need to perform. So, you don't need to worry about anything else. 'I respect and acknowledge that it can be tough. It's basically, are you going to be here or are you not? Celtic pay your wages and while they do, you focus on doing the very best you can for Celtic.' Falling just as clubs around the world begin to finalise their plans for the first part of the season, the scheduling of these play-offs is far from ideal. Rodgers has endured them three times before. Before a sore defeat away to AEK Athens came two experiences which probably still have the Celtic manager breaking out in a cold sweat. After a resounding 5-2 win over Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 2016, the Parkhead men put their manager through a second leg in Israel which he claimed was akin to being put in a tumble drier. 'I think the Be'er Sheva one was the best 2-0 loss I ever had in my life,' he said with a smile. 'It was funny, because we were so good in the game here, and then we conceded a couple of late goals for 5-2, and then all of a sudden over there we're 2-0 down. 'And then the guy at the end of the game, he's had a brilliant shot from outside the box that looked like it was rocketing right into the top corner for 3-0. But we got through, and that was important.' A year later, came Astana. A 5-0 home leg framed the return in Kazakhstan as a formality. Or so we thought. 'Okay, the end result, the end aggregate score, that was 8-4,' Rodgers recalled. 'But there was a little period in the second half where we had to calm everything down. 'We conceded three quick goals to put it to 6-4. At the end, it didn't look like there was anything to worry about, but you always have moments.' The aggregate loss to the Greeks the following year came against a backdrop of much disquiet at a lack of new signings. Not too far removed from the current situation, you might say. No doubt recognising that his choice of words back then probably didn't help the situation, Rodgers now cuts a more diplomatic figure. 'You're a little bit more philosophical on it,' he said. 'It's so important because that emotion can get through with players. 'There's even more noise now around the game, not just Celtic, but around the game. 'But it is very much experience that helps you massively, of course. 'It's understanding that you can control what you can in the squad of players that you have.' Even for seasoned observers of transfer windows at Celtic, this summer has been a truly bewildering affair. The recalibration of the Champions League means there's £40million on the line across the next week but, to date, the Scottish champions have acted like a punter trying to win a jackpot without first buying a ticket. Still without a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi eight months on from his departure, the bulk of the £16.5m the club received from Como for Nicolas Kuhn has still to be reinvested. Rodgers remains hopeful, though, that the necessary additions can yet be made. 'I think that we gave a hint last season of what we can do when we improved the squad last year and went into the Champions League in a really good way,' he said. 'We felt we showed what we can do at the level. And for me, the job is to keep trying to develop and, at minimum, sustain that. 'And for that, you need that constant improvement of your squad. But currently, where this group's at, with what we have, the players are doing very, very well.' Celtic will still be expected to progress across these two games, but it would be foolish for anyone to underestimate the challenge offered by the champions of Kazakhstan. Having started in the first qualifying round, Kairat have taken care of Olimpija Ljubljana, KuPS then Slovan Bratislava. They are deserving of every respect Celtic will afford them. 'Like a lot of teams at this level, in qualification and in the Champions League, they're a team that's used to winning,' said Rodgers. 'You also look at them, they're 20 games into their season. So, they're going to be at a good level of fitness. 'They're a team that like to build the game from behind, mostly short. And then as they progress through the pitch, full-backs go high, wingers come on the inside. So, really what you expect from a modern team at a really good level. 'They're technically strong and play some really good football.'
