Father of boxer Imane Khelif defends his daughter and says attacks against her are immoral

The father of Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer at the centre of an Olympic row over gender, said she had honoured his family, calling attacks against her immoral.

Khelif failed a gender eligibility test at the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships last year but was allowed to participate at the Paris Games by the International Olympic Committee.

Her quick-fire Olympic victory over Italian boxer Angela Carini, who pulled out of their duel after suffering a series of painful blows, re-ignited a broader debate about gender differences in sport.

Khelif will face Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori later on Saturday in the women's welterweight quarter-finals.

In an interview at his simple, cinderblock home on the outskirts of the northern Algerian city of Tiaret, Amar Khelif said he was proud of his daughter, and backed her to win a medal for all of Algeria.

"Having such a daughter is an honour because she is a champion, she honoured me and I encourage her and I hope she will get the medal in Paris," he said. "Imane is a little girl that has loved sport since she was six years old."

He shared with Reuters an official-looking document, which showed her birthday.

"This is our family official document, May 2, 1999, Imane Khelif, female. It is written here you can read it, this document doesn't lie," he said.

Khelif fell foul of IBA eligibility rules that prevent athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in women's events, when she was disqualified hours before her gold-medal bout in New Delhi last year.

However, the IBA was stripped of its status as the global governing body for boxing by the IOC last year, leaving the IOC in charge of running the boxing competition at the Paris Games.

The IOC, which states that