Algerian Olympic boxing champion Iman Khalif, after being absent from the ring since the Paris Olympics, will fight her first professional fight on December 15 in the French capital, where her coach aspires to achieve a world title “very soon.”
The 27-year-old Algerian boxer, who has repeatedly been subjected to campaigns questioning her sexual identity, was forced last April to postpone her first professional fight due to an injury she sustained during training.
Khalif, who holds a professional license from the French Boxing Federation, along with her coach Kamal Abdel Salam and event organizer Yacine Belrabah, announced during a press conference held on Friday in Paris that she will fight on December 15 in the Maison de la Mutualité hall.
The Algerian boxer said: “It has been more than two years in which I have not practiced boxing, and I have missed the ring.” I live for this sport, and I can't wait to get back to it for myself and my fans. The last years (after the 2024 Paris Olympics) and this downtime have been very difficult. "It is time to move to the professional world, and I will do my best."
While she won her Olympic medal in the weight category of less than 66 kg, next month she will compete in the “super welter” category (less than 69.8 kg) against Dominican boxer Clarida Sarabia, who holds Dutch citizenship.
Coach Kamal Abdel Salam praised Sarbia, saying about her: “She is a high-level boxer, and she has never been defeated before; She achieved 4 victories, all by knockout. “So it represents a real challenge, but we have complete confidence in Iman.”
The coach believed that Algerian boxing is capable of winning a world title “very soon,” noting that “this may be achieved within three to five fights, as it has the necessary capabilities for that.”
For his part, Balrabeh said: “We aspire to put Iman at the top of the world, and she can be likened to Muhammad Ali.”
Iman Khalif has not competed in any fight since winning the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and she was also unable to participate in the Eindhoven Championship in June 2025, due to the International Boxing Federation adopting, a week before that, a mandatory chromosomal test.
Despite repeated accusations that she is a transgender athlete, the boxer was born female, but she naturally carries the SRA gene, which is an indicator of masculinity.
In February, she revealed in statements to the newspaper L'Equipe that she had undergone hormonal treatment to lower her testosterone levels before the 2024 Olympics.
The Algerian coach of the Lebanese national football team, Madjid Bougherra, announced the list of players participating in the Basra International Friendly Championship, which brings together four teams: Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Palestine, and witnessed the call-up of striker Reda Khadra and goalkeeper Joseph Batrouni for the first time.
The summoning of Khadra (25 years old), a professional in the Azerbaijani ranks of Karabakh, came after efforts and contacts made by the Lebanese Football Association over a long period to convince him to represent the “Cedars” team, as part of Bougherra’s plan to build a young team capable of competing.
Khadra previously played with the German reserve team of Borussia Dortmund, before moving to England, where he defended the colors of Brighton, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United, and Birmingham City. Then he had an experience in the French League with Reims and Le Havre, before joining Karabakh.
The list also included the presence of San Antonio's American goalkeeper, Joseph Petroni, who performed at remarkable levels this season, after keeping a clean sheet in ten matches.
Bougherra explained that the decision to participate in the tournament came with the aim of raising the level of challenge facing the players, saying: “The Federation and I decided to play this tournament with strong teams in Asia, because I believe that the time has come for the players to play matches at a higher level, which includes pressures of a different kind.”
Regarding the joining of Khadra and Batrouni, the Algerian coach said: “I spoke to Batrouni, and I saw how much he loves representing this country, and he is excited to play with us, just like Reda, who is considered a great player. After talking to him, I also felt that he was ready to join us.”
He added: “The importance of this matter to us revolves around the desire and passion to defend the colors of Lebanon, as much as the technical level that the player enjoys.”
Bougherra confirmed that the technical staff continues to follow up on local and professional players abroad, even while he is outside Lebanon, with the aim of selecting elements capable of providing an addition to the team, indicating that the work is not limited to the names currently called up.
He revealed that there is another list of players of Lebanese origin that the federation is working to attract, saying: “It is true that things are not easy, but we hope to announce to you more new players during the upcoming international break.”
The squad also witnessed the return of midfielder Hussein Munther to the national team after a long absence, in a move that reflects the technical staff’s tendency to expand its options and take advantage of the available elements.
The Lebanese national team will begin its participation in the tournament by facing Iraq at the “Palm Trunk” stadium in the semi-finals on November 13, while the Iranian and Palestinian national teams will meet in the second confrontation. The two winners qualify for the final match scheduled for April 17, while the two losers compete for third place.
The list included the following players:
Goalkeepers: Mustafa Matar (Al-Najma), Ali Al-Sabaa (Joia), Joseph Petroni (San Antonio, USA).
Defense: Khalil Khamis, Ali Al-Rida Ismail, Muhammad Al-Hayek (Al-Najma), Badr Qawam, Hassan Farahat, Hassan Kaafrani (Goya), Jad Samira (Cyprus' Carmiotissa), Joao Gabriel Makhlouf (Italy's Como), Pedro Bou Dib (Pachuca of Mexico). Midfield: Ahmed Khairuddin (Al-Ansar), Ali Al-Fadl (Al-Najma), Hussein Munther (Goya), Mahmoud Zbib (Al-Ahed), and Wehbi Fawaz (Goya).
Attack: Ali Kassas (Al-Najma), Jimmy Kazan (Goya), Khalil Badr (Al-Ansar), Leonardo Shaheen (Odevold, Sweden), Sami Merhej (Alverca, Portugal), Hussein Shukroun (Hanover, Germany), Reda Khadra (Karabakh, Azerbaijan).
