Khelif’s Pro Debut on Hold After Painful Shoulder Injury

Injury halts Khelif’s return

Khelif withdrew from her first pro fight at Salle Wagram after a clinical exam found a painful left shoulder syndrome. Organisers to announce new date with WBA.

Olympic champion Imane Khelif’s April 23 pro debut vs Julia Ige in Paris is postponed...

Olympic champion Imane Khelif’s upcoming pro boxing debut in Paris, initially set for later this month, has been postponed after the Algerian picked up an injury in training, tournament organisers said Monday.

Khelif was slated to fight Germany’s Julia Ige on April 23 at Salle Wagram, but the bout will be rescheduled after a clinical exam revealed a painful syndrome in her left shoulder causing functional limitation, organisers said in a press release.

“Due to ‌the intensity of the biomechanical stresses involved in high-level boxing, the medical team deemed the athlete's condition temporarily incompatible with competition,” the statement said.

The entire event, which was also scheduled to include two World Boxing Association title fights, has been postponed.

“The health and physical well-being of our athletes remain our top priority,” the promoter Brahim Asloum said in a statement.

Organisers said a new date will be announced soon in coordination with the WBA, adding that ticket holders for the original date will be refunded.

Khelif hasn’t competed at official events since winning gold in the women’s welterweight division at the 2024 Paris Games amid a gender eligibility dispute, after the International Boxing Association disqualified her from the 2023 World Championships based on sex chromosome tests.

World Boxing, which will oversee boxing competitions at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after receiving provisional IOC recognition, announced mandatory sex testing last May for all boxers in its competitions.