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PARIS: Olympic boxer Imane Khelief said the wave of hateful scrutiny she faced over misconceptions about her gender “damages human dignity” and called for an end to bullying athletes after she was overwhelmed by the international backlash against her.
The Algerian athlete spoke about his tumultuous Olympic experience in an interview with Associated Press sports video partner SNTV on Sunday night.
“I send a message to all the people of the world to support the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to all athletes to stay away from bullying, because it has an impact, a huge impact,” Khalif said in Arabic. “It can destroy people, it can kill people's thoughts, souls and minds. It can divide people. And because of that, I urge them to stay away from threats.
The victory of Taiwanese caliph and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting in the ring in Paris has become one of the biggest stories in Paris sports. Both women won their first Olympic medals despite facing online abuse based on unsubstantiated claims about their gender, drawing them into a wider divide over changing approaches to gender identity and rules in sports.
The 25-year-old Khalif admitted the pressure and pain of enduring the ordeal while competing away from home in the most important event of her athletic career.
“I am in touch with my family two days a week. I hope they are not deeply affected,” she said. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will turn into a gold medal, and that will be the best response.”

The vitriol was sparked after the International Boxing Association, which has been permanently banned from the Olympics, claimed both Khalif and Lin had failed ambiguous qualification tests for the women's competition at last year's world championships.
Khelief refused to answer when asked if he had undergone tests other than the doping test, saying he did not want to talk about it.
He expressed his gratitude to the International Olympic Committee and its president, Thomas Bach, while Olympic boxing's banned former governing body was thrilled with his participation in Paris.
“I know that the Olympic Committee has judged me, and I am happy with this measure because it shows the truth,” she said.
She has also seen massive support during her bouts, with crowds cheering as she enters the arena and chants her first name, waving the Algerian flag. She will fight again in the women's 66kg semifinals at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

Khalif has made it clear time and again that she will not allow herself to be fooled or accused of trying to claim Algeria's first Olympic gold medal in women's boxing.
“I don't care about anybody's opinion,” Khalif said a day after beating Hungary's Anna Luka Hamory. “I came here for a medal, and to compete for a medal. I will definitely improve (and) compete to be better, and God willing, I will improve like other athletes.
Despite being aware of the worldwide buzz about her, Khalif said she was somewhat removed.
“Honestly, I don't follow social media,” she said. “There is a mental health team that doesn't allow us to follow social media, especially during the Olympic Games, whether it's me or other athletes. I'm here to compete and get good results.
Khalif left the bout after 46 seconds to Italy's Angela Carini, who started the Olympic race last Thursday. Karini later said that she regretted her decision and wanted to apologize to Khalif.
That unusual ending sent the chatter surrounding Khalif into a frenzy, drawing comments from former US President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling and others claiming that Khalif is male or transgender.
The IOC has repeatedly declared her and Lin eligible for the Olympics, and it has condemned the IBA's vague testing standards and unclear governance, leading to its complete expulsion from the Olympics last year.

Khalif clearly feels the weight of global scrutiny on him, and his victory over Hamori on Saturday seemed cathartic. After the referee raised Khalif's hand in victory, she walked to the center of the ring, waving to her fans, kneeling and slamming her palms on the canvas, her smile turning to tears.
“I couldn't control my nerves,” Khalif said in the interview. “Because after the media frenzy and the victory, there was a mixture of joy and at the same time, I was very affected, because honestly, it was not an easy thing to go through at all. It was a violation of human dignity.”
She competed in IBA events for several years without problems until her sudden suspension from last year's World Championships. The Russian-dominated body – which has faced years of conflict with the IOC – has refused to release any information about the trials.
The National Boxing Federation of Algeria is still an IBA member.
Khalif is from rural northwestern Algeria, and grew up playing soccer until she fell in love with boxing. In the face of his father's initial objection, he traveled 10 kilometers by bus to train for a fight in a neighboring town.
After reaching the top level of the sport in her late teens, she struggled early in her career before reaching an elite level. Khalif has been a strong, if obscure, international competitor for six years, and lost to eventual gold medalist Kelly Harrington of Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics.
Khalif's next match in Paris will be against Zanjam Suwannafeng of Thailand. If Khalif wins again, she will fight for the gold medal on Friday.
“Yes, this issue involves the dignity and respect of every woman and woman,” she said in brief remarks to an Algerian broadcaster on Sunday after beating Hamouri. “The Arab population has known me for years and seen me box in the IBA which has wronged me (and) treated me unfairly, but God is on my side.”