Olympic gender row fighter Imane Khelif has been announced as the face of a beauty brand as her challenge to world boxing rolls on.
The Algerian athlete rose to global prominence as she won gold at the Paris 2024 – but her inclusion in the contest sparked controversy amid claims that she had allegedly failed a gender eligibility test the previous year.
The International Boxing Association disqualified Khelif and Tawin’s Lin Yu-ting – who also competed at the Olympics last summer – from their World Championships.
Since the dispute in Paris, World Boxing have since confirmed that fighters will be required to undergo mandatory sex screening to compete in their events.
The new regulations led to scores of women barred from competing at the amateur World Championship in Liverpool this year after missing the deadline to submit their tests.
Khelif has not competed since the tests have been introduced, but the 26-year-old has since taken her fight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to compete without being tested.
Olympic star Imane Khelif is the face of a new beauty campaign for Algerian brand Bel*nco
The 26-year-old rose to prominence during her controversy gold medal campaign in Paris
Amid the maelstrom of controversy however, Khelif has opted to take on a new role, starring in a campaign which references her personal story.
Announced on Instagram with an image of Khelif emblazoned with the message, ‘the champ is here’, the Algerian star is now the face of Bel*nco, a brand with roots in her native country.
‘Confidence takes the stage,’ the caption read. ‘We are proud to announce Imane Khelif as the face of BEL*NCO.
‘She embodies strength, resilience, and grace. The perfect reflection of what skin with attitude truly means.’
In the campaign teaser video, Khelif is seated at a press conference, before stepping into the ring.
Her voiceover, an apparent message to her critics, states: ‘They said boxing wasn’t for me. They said I would stop one day.
‘They said I was too much for the ring. Now, they say I’m not enough for beauty? So I proved them wrong…’
The company is now advertising how clients can ‘glow like a champion’ by using the products that Khelif is promoting.
In the campaign teaser video, Khelif is captured attending a packed-out press conference
In a case of art imitating life, Khelif appeared to hit back at her critics in an emotional voiceover
Khelif is in the midst of appealing to compete without gender eligibility testing with CAS
Last month the fighter was forced to confirm that she had not retired after reports put out by her former representative
Last month, Khelif insisted that she had not retired, despite reports to the contrary stemming from her former representative Nasser Yesfah.
Khelif wrote on Facebook: ‘I would like to make it clear to the public that the reports of my retirement from boxing are false.
She then said Yesfah had ‘betrayed (her) trust and (her) country with his false and malicious statements’.
‘This person no longer represents me in any way,’ she said.
‘I have never announced my retirement from boxing. I remain committed to my sporting career, I train regularly and I maintain my physical condition between Algeria and Qatar in preparation for upcoming events.’
The new rules brought in by World Boxing state that fighters must take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or functional medical equivalent genetic screening test to certify their eligibility to fight.
These tests are carried out through testing saliva, blood or a nasal or mouth swab.
Those deemed to be male at birth with a Y chromosome or with a difference where male androgenisation has taken place, will not be eligible to compete with women.
The president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst said: ‘World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible, yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.’
