'I want to apologise to Khelif' - Boxer Carini speaks after Olympics exit

Italian boxer Carini has revealed that she would like to apologize to Algerian boxer Imane Khelif following their match at the 2024 Olympics.

Italian boxer Angela Carini, who withdrew from her Olympic match against Algeria's Imane Khelif within 46 seconds, has expressed her desire to apologize to her opponent for her actions immediately following the fight.

Khelif, one of two athletes cleared to compete in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics despite being disqualified from the previous year’s Women’s World Championships for not meeting eligibility criteria, has faced controversy over her participation.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended her right to compete.

According to BBC Carini said, "All this makes me sad. I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision."

Carini, said her decision to abandon the fight was a mature one, but she regretted not shaking hands with Khelif afterward.

"It wasn’t something I intended to do. Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke." Carini explained

During Thursday's bout, Carini took a punch to the face within 30 seconds and went to her corner for her coach to adjust her headgear.

After briefly resuming, she returned to her corner once more and stopped the fight. Carini later told BBC Sport, "It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment."

The Russia-led International Boxing Association (IBA), which conducted the tests last year, stated that Khelif "failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women's competition, as set and laid out in the IBA regulations."

Khelif has always competed in the women's division and is recognized by the IOC as a female athlete.