LONDON: Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif, at the center of a gender row at the Paris Games, is targeting a second gold in Los Angeles and says she will not be intimidated by Donald Trump.
The US president last month signed an executive order barring transgender women from competing in the female categories of sports.
Trump had previously said the 25-year-old fighter had transitioned from being a man, even though that is not the case.
“I will give you a straightforward answer — the US president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America,” she told Britain’s ITV News.
“I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response.”
Olympic chiefs earlier this week recommended that boxing be included at the 2028 Games in LA after a new governing body was provisionally recognized.
The decision still needs to be rubber-stamped by a full session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week in Greece.
“Second gold medal, of course,” said Khelif. “In America, Los Angeles.”
She added: “This experience has taught me a lot. I believe that if the old Imane operated at 50 percent of her potential, then the Imane Khalif of today is even more motivated and determined.
“I have learned so much from this campaign against me, and what happened at the Paris Olympics was an eye-opening experience. I feel even stronger now than I was before.”
Khelif’s triumph in Paris, along with that of Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, sparked a raging gender eligibility debate, with high-profile figures such as Trump and Elon Musk weighing in.
She revealed she was “deeply affected mentally” by the “major media campaign” surrounding her, and said her mother was attending hospital almost daily as her family shared the brunt of the attacks.
Khelif and Lin were disqualified from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after the organization, the long-standing governing body of amateur boxing, said they had failed gender eligibility tests.
The IOC has severed links with the IBA over financial, governance and ethical concerns. The IBA is led by the Kremlin-linked Russian Umar Kremlev.
Last month the IOC provisionally recognized World Boxing as the body to oversee the sport at future Games.
“As we say in Algeria, those who have nothing to hide should have no fear,” Khelif told ITV. “The truth became clear at the Paris Olympics — the injustice was exposed and later, the truth was acknowledged by the Olympic Committee in Paris.”
She added: “For me, I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one.
“I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four world championships.
“All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”
The debate over transgender athletes and athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) in women’s sport has been a central issue in the ongoing IOC presidential race, which concludes on Thursday.
The three leading candidates — Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry — have spoken of the need to “protect the women’s category.”
World Athletics president Coe told AFP in an interview last year: “If we do not protect women’s sport and we don’t have a clear and unambiguous set of policies to do that, then we run the risk of losing women’s sport.”
Khelif said: “I hope the next president of the IOC leads with true sportsmanship, stays committed to Olympic principles, and upholds the values of fair play.”
Algerian boxer Khelif ‘not intimidated’ by Trump as she targets second Olympic gold in LA
https://arab.news/pc7gc
Algerian boxer Khelif ‘not intimidated’ by Trump as she targets second Olympic gold in LA
- “I will give you a straightforward answer — the US president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America,” she told Britain’s ITV News
- “This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response“
Pakistan win toss, bowl in third New Zealand T20
- Pakistan’s two changes were both to their bowling attack
- Afridi, Abrar Ahmed replace Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali
AUCKLAND: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl in the third Twenty20 against New Zealand in Auckland on Friday as they bid to stay alive in the five-match series.
New Zealand made one change from the side that won the second game of the series by five wickets in Dunedin on Tuesday to go 2-0 up, recalling Kyle Jamieson in place of fellow-seamer Zac Foulkes.
Jamieson took three wickets when New Zealand won the opening match by nine wickets in Christchurch.
Pakistan’s two changes were both to their bowling attack and included handing a T20 debut to Abbas Afridi.
Seamer Afridi and legspinner Abrar Ahmed replace seamers Jahandad Khan and Mohammad Ali.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Hay, Michael Bracewell (capt), Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Ben Sears
Pakistan: Mohammad Haris, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt), Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Abdul Samad, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Butler triple-double leads Warriors over Raptors as Curry hurt
- The Bucks bounced back from their loss at Golden State on Tuesday with a 118-89 romp past the short-handed Lakers in Los Angeles
- The Pacers won another close one in Indianapolis, where Bennedict Mathurin scored 28 points and pulled down 16 rebounds in a 105-99 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets
LOS ANGELES: Draymond Green scored 21 points and Jimmy Butler added a 16-point triple-double as the Golden State Warriors held off the Toronto Raptors 117-114 on Thursday despite an early exit for Stephen Curry.
Butler added 11 rebounds and 12 assists for the Warriors and Green chipped in seven rebounds, five assists and four steals as Golden State kept their hold on sixth place in the Western Conference and direct entry into the playoffs.
Trailing by as many as seven in the third quarter, Golden State took a 93-92 lead into the final period even after losing Curry, who took a frightening fall under the basket.
Curry, who was nursing a sore back before he sat out Tuesday’s win over Milwaukee, was treated on the court before departing with what the team called a pelvic contusion.
“He just kind of fell on his pelvic, tailbone area,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, adding that Curry was having an MRI scan after the game to assess the injury.
“He was trying to come back (into the game), he thought he might’ve been able to come back and we just decided not to risk anything,” Kerr added.
In other games the Bucks bounced back from their loss at Golden State on Tuesday with a 118-89 romp past the short-handed Lakers in Los Angeles.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 off the bench for Milwaukee, who were without Damian Lillard who sat out with a sore right calf.
The Lakers, still without superstar LeBron James as he recovers from a groin injury, also had Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on their long list of absentees, both with sprained ankles.
James’s son Bronny James and Dalton Knecht led the Lakers’ scoring with 17 points apiece, Bronny connecting on seven of his 10 shots on the way to his first double-digit scoring game.
But Milwaukee led by as many as 35 in the wire-to-wire victory, which kept the fifth-placed Bucks one game behind the fourth-placed Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers won another close one in Indianapolis, where Bennedict Mathurin scored 28 points and pulled down 16 rebounds in a 105-99 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Pacers have now won three straight games by six or fewer points to improve to 40-29 — boosting their lead over the Bucks and Detroit Pistons for fourth place.
Myles Turner scored 23 points with 10 rebounds and five blocks, including a huge rejection of Keon Johnson with 22.2 seconds left in overtime that preserved a two-point lead.
T.J. McConnell and Mathurin added two free-throws apiece in the waning seconds to seal the victory for a Pacers team again without star guard Tyrese Haliburton because of a sore back.
Mathurin had sent it to overtime with three free-throws to tie it up at the end of regulation.
“Another amazing finish,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “Mathurin was spectacular, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Brooklyn’s Trendon Watford was ejected late in the fourth quarter after a scuffle that saw Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard and Turner receive technical fouls. Nembhard was ejected in overtime after getting a second technical for jawing with officials.
The New York Knicks, third in the East, failed to find their offensive groove in a 115-98 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte.
The Knicks have dropped six of their last nine games and again felt the effects of Jalen Brunson’s continued absence with a sprained right ankle.
LaMelo Ball scored 25 points to lead the Hornets and Miles Bridges added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the hosts, who snapped a two-game skid.
OG Anunoby scored 25 for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 10 rebounds, but New York never led after the opening quarter.
Gauff and Sabalenka advance in Miami but Rybakina falls
- Defending champion Danielle Collins survived some late nerves to get past Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-4 7-6 (7/3) and book her place in the round of 32
- Naomi Osaka, the 2022 Miami finalist, defeated 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 6-4 to earn a meetup with American wildcard Halley Baptiste
MIAMI GARDENS: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and third-seeded Coco Gauff eased through their second round matches at the Miami Open on Thursday but seventh seed Elena Rybakina crashed out to American Ashlyn Krueger.
Sabalenka beat Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-3 6-0 in a contest which lasted just 58 minutes while Gauff made even shorter work of her match, beating 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-0 6-0 in just 47 minutes.
For Sabalenka, who was beaten in the Indian Wells final by Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Sunday, it was a comfortable start to her bid in South Florida.
“I’m super happy to get this win. A bit tricky with the conditions, and I didn’t have much time to adjust, so just happy with the performance today,” said the Belarussian, who said the contrast with conditions in California was striking.
“I feel like it’s a bit slower here, probably because of the balls, everything, it’s much heavier on the body.
“Then it was windy. It was a bit like different stadium. It’s just like everything new, and I had few days to adjust. That was a bit tricky, but I think I handled pretty well. So happy to get through,” she added.
Gauff, who has made a slow start to the season, said it had simply been a case of everything falling into place for her from the outset.
“I was definitely playing well today, and maybe she wasn’t playing her peak great tennis. I don’t think anyone who is playing their best tennis will have that scoreline today, so I’m not going to sit here and say she played her best tennis,” she said.
Gauff, who suffered a surprise exit to Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells last week, said she wasn’t trying to prove any point about her form.
“I know where I personally stand in my game. Yes, it’s not been up to my standards, but at the same time, you know, we are just March and our season ends in November. There is a lot of time to improve.
“Today I wasn’t going in with that in my mind. It just happened to be a great day for me,” she said.
Krueger, the 20-year-old Texan, claimed her first win over a top-10 opponent beating 2023 Miami Open finalist Rybakina 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in 1 hour and 50 minutes.
The American, ranked 40th in the world, will face Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the next round.
Defending champion Danielle Collins survived some late nerves to get past Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-4 7-6 (7/3) and book her place in the round of 32.
Naomi Osaka, the 2022 Miami finalist, defeated 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 6-4 to earn a meetup with American wildcard Halley Baptiste.
Baptiste enjoyed an upset 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over 12th seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina.
In the men’s draw, exciting 18-year-old Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca enjoyed plenty of support from compatriots in the crowd in a 6-7 (1/7) 6-3, 6-4 win over Learner Tien.
With the Brazilian flags waving and football-style chanting, Fonseca’s big hitting proved too much for the 19-year-old Californian.
“I knew it was going to be a difficult match. I knew Learner was going to fight until the end, he’s a great fighter. He knows how to play, he’s very smart,” said Fonseca.
“So I needed to go until the end and I just went to it hard and the Brazilian crowd was with me today,” Fonseca said.
In an all-American clash, Reilly Opelka beat Christopher Eubanks 6-3 7-6 (7/4) to improve to 4-0 in their head-to-head record.
The tall Opelka won all 26 of his first-serve points in the second set and wrapped up the 85-minute win with an ace.
Hamilton wants a faster Ferrari to challenge McLaren at F1’s sprint weekend in China
- For seven-time world champion Hamilton, China is a chance for a reset after a difficult Ferrari debut at Melbourne’s Albert Park last weekend
- China’s Sprint weekend format will be another challenge for F1’s six rookies
SHANGHAI: McLaren’s dominance, Lewis Hamilton’s bid to bounce back after a disappointing debut for Ferrari, and the death of Eddie Jordan have generated headlines as Formula 1 prepares for its first Sprint weekend of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Lando Norris arrived in Shanghai atop the drivers’ standings for the first time following his win at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last Sunday, but it was his qualifying pace for McLaren — and not just holding off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — that had his rivals on edge ahead of practice.
McLaren’s pace
Mercedes driver George Russell went so far as to say McLaren could win every race this season, describing its raw pace advantage as “bigger than Red Bull has ever had.” But, while Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri strongly refuted the claim — stating the form would change between rounds — the rest of the paddock wasn’t so sure.
“They’re definitely ahead,” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said. “The gap in qualifying, the gap that there was (in Australia, 0.385sec to the nearest non-McLaren) is more or less what there is.”
“I think we are around Mercedes and Red Bull in terms of lap times if we put everything together,” Leclearc said, “so there’s still a big chunk to get McLaren then.”
It’s unclear if a new technical directive will shuffle the order in China, with FIA, the sport’s governing body, cracking down on rear wing flexing with a tougher static load test.
None of the drivers were forthcoming, as to what triggered the FIA’s new interpretation, or who it was most expected to impact.
“We don’t have to change anything,” Norris said. “Ours is fine. In fact, ours was probably too good, and we probably weren’t pushing the limits enough. If this technical directive had been applied last weekend, we would’ve been fine.
“It seems to be directed (at) other teams, which probably means we should push it a little bit more.”
Hamilton primed for improvement
For seven-time world champion Hamilton, China is a chance for a reset after a difficult Ferrari debut at Melbourne’s Albert Park last weekend, where he qualified eighth, briefly took the lead, but couldn’t hold onto it because of the team’s tire strategy.
But the 40-year-old, who is F1’s most successful driver with a record 105 GP wins and 104 pole positions, says he still needs more time to bring the full force of his experience to his new team.
“As I get more comfortable and more knowledgeable about the car, I can start making more decisions,” Hamilton said of his preferred set up. “I’m having those discussions, and I’m going to lean a little bit more with adding my experience hopefully a bit more in it.”
Hamilton is hopeful that the Australian GP was an outlier for him and for Ferrari.
“I hope so,” he said. “I think our car looked pretty decent on Friday (in Australia) and even on Saturday morning. So, I think it’s a bit of a one-off.”
Another tough test for F1’s rookies
China’s Sprint weekend format will be another challenge for F1’s six rookies. The track has been completely resurfaced and there’s just one practice session, making it more difficult to get a baseline setup before Sprint qualifying.
Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli said it feels like a return to F2, with its compacted schedule, but the Italian knows what he has to do
“You want to finish free practice and say ‘Okay, like I got to a good level of driving. I’m not so far from the limit and I know where I have to make the step for qualifying,’” Antonelli said. “The important thing is going to be to get as close as possible to the limit without making any big mistakes.”
At Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar is ready to put the pain of Melbourne behind him, having put his car into the Turn 2 barrier on the formation lap.
In the aftermath of his crash, Hadjar was seen walking back to the garage crying with his hands up to his helmet. Red Bull motorsport consultant Doctor Helmut Marko said it was embarrassing, but Hamilton’s father, Anthony, sought Hadjar out for some reassuring words.
“It was a nice moment, sharing time with someone like Anthony as well — obviously, the dad of my idol,” Hadjar said. “So that was quite a special moment. And Lewis sent me a message later that day. Really classy guys.”
RIP Eddie Jordan
Sadness descended on the F1 community on Thursday with news that ex-team owner Eddie Jordan had died.
Beloved throughout the sport “EJ” ran the Jordan team from 1991 to 2005. His humor, strong opinions and deep contacts made Jordan a popular media pundit after he sold the team – with his most recent project being the “Formula for Success” podcast he co-hosted with ex-F1 driver David Coulthard.
The 76-year-old Jordan also acted as the manager for design great Adrian Newey when he left Red Bull for Aston Martin last year.
Jordan was undergoing cancer treatment before he died. His family issued a statement, published by rugby club London Irish, where Jordan was a patron, to say he “passed away peacefully with family by his side in Cape Town.”
Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle, who drove for Jordan in 1996, led the emotional tributes from the sport.
“What a character. What a rock star. What a racer,” Brundle posted on social media. “So many drivers owe you so much, you gave us our chances and believed in us.”
Racing
The first Sprint weekend for 2025 begins at the Shanghai International Circuit on Friday, with a single practice session at 11.30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) before sprint qualifying at 3.30 p.m. (0730 GMT).
NBA’s Celtics to be sold for record $6.1 billion to group led by private equity mogul Bill Chisholm
- If the deal is approved by the NBA’s board of governors this summer, the sale would top the $6.05 billion paid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023
- The agreement calls for a two-part sale in which Chisholm would acquire at least 51 percent of the team upon approval by the NBA’s board of governors, which could come as soon as this summer
BOSTON: Private equity mogul William Chisholm agreed to buy the Boston Celtics on Thursday in a deal that values the NBA’s reigning champions and the most-decorated franchise in league history at a minimum of $6.1 billion — the largest price ever for American professional sports team.
If the deal is approved by the NBA’s board of governors this summer, the sale would top the $6.05 billion paid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023.
A Massachusetts native and graduate of Dartmouth College and Penn’s Wharton School of business, Chisholm is the managing partner of California-based Symphony Technology Group. The new ownership group also includes Boston businessmen Rob Hale, who is a current Celtics shareholder, and Bruce Beal Jr.
“Growing up on the North Shore and attending college in New England, I have been a die-hard Celtics fan my entire life,” Chisholm said in a statement. “I understand how important the Celtics are to the city of Boston — the role the team plays in the community is different than any other city in the country. I also understand that there is a responsibility as a leader of the organization to the people of Boston, and I am up for this challenge.”
Wyc Grousbeck, whose family leads the ownership group that bought the team in 2002 for $360 million, said Chisholm asked him to stay on as CEO and Governor for the next three seasons, “and I am glad to do so.”
“Bill is a terrific person and a true Celtics fan, born and raised here in the Boston area,” Grousbeck said. “His love for the team and the city of Boston, along with his chemistry with the rest of the Celtics leadership, make him a natural choice to be the next Governor and controlling owner of the team. I know he appreciates the importance of the Celtics and burns with a passion to win on the court while being totally committed to the community. Quite simply, he wants to be a great owner.”
The agreement calls for a two-part sale in which Chisholm would acquire at least 51 percent of the team upon approval by the NBA’s board of governors, which could come as soon as this summer. Current owners would have the option to retain the remainder of their shares until 2028, when they would be sold at a price that could be up to 20 percent higher, based on a formula determined by league revenue growth.
That would value the team at $7.3 billion. Chisholm outbid at least two other groups; one was led by current Celtics minority partner Steve Pagliuca, who said he put together a record, fully guaranteed bid with deep resources and no debt to “ensure we can always compete for championships, luxury taxes be damned.”
“It is a bid of true fans, deeply connected to Boston’s community, and we’ve been saddened to find out that we have not been selected,” he said in a statement. “I will never stop being a Celtic, and if the announced transaction does not end up being finalized, my partners and I are ready to check back into the game and bring it home, to help continue what the Celtics do best — win.”
Sportico and ESPN were among those first reporting the sale agreement.
The record price for an NBA team was the $4 billion mortgage firm owner Mat Ishbia paid for the Phoenix Suns in 2023. But the Celtics are one of the league’s flagship franchises, winning their unprecedented 18th NBA title last June and among the favorites to win again this season with young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — successors to a tradition of championship-winning Hall of Famers running from Bob Cousy to Bill Russell to Larry Bird to Paul Pierce.
Shortly after beating the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA title last summer, Grousbeck announced that the team would be put up for sale.
“My partners and I have immense respect for Wyc, the entire Grousbeck family and their indelible contributions to the Celtics organization over the last 23 years,” Chisholm said. “We look forward to learning from Wyc and partnering with Brad Stevens, Joe Mazzulla and the talented team and staff to build upon their success as we work to bring more championships home to Boston.”
