Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, a member of the International Olympic Committee, supported Algerian boxer Eman Khalif during the 142nd General Assembly of the Committee. Khalif won the gold medal in women's boxing under 66 kilograms by defeating the Chinese athlete Luo Yang. Following her quarterfinal victory over Italian Angela Carini, Khalif faced attacks questioning her eligibility to compete.
In the closing session of the International Olympic Committee, Princess Reema stated, "I cannot remain silent about what is being circulated in the media regarding Eman Khalif. I would like to confirm my complete support for the joint statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Boxing Unit for the Paris 2024 Olympics, issued on August 1, 2024. The facts here are clear: Eman Khalif was born a girl and has lived her life as a female. Yet, despite the facts presented in the joint statement, misleading and false information continues to circulate. It is painful because this is not only unacceptable, but it is also sad."
She added, "Since her childhood as the daughter of a loving family in Algeria, Eman Khalif has worked hard her whole life to become an Olympic athlete, competing on the world stage. As is well known, the path she has taken requires a lot of determination, diligence, and perseverance. Like all Olympians, Eman embodies the best traits and capabilities; this is the essence of the Olympic Games."
Princess Reema continued, "No one has the right to question Eman's femininity, and the continued dissemination of misleading information is an attempt to strip her of her dignity and rightful achievements. Therefore, I stand today before this esteemed committee to say that this must not continue, as Olympic female athletes represent the elite. They train to become the best, and our need to discuss this matter constitutes a failure for all of us, but this discussion has become more important than ever."
