Khelif's first professional fight in Paris postponed due to shoulder injury

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif
Algerian boxer Imane KhelifSarah Meyssonnier / Reuters

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 23rd 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.

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