Carini left that fight after 46 seconds, and then, the global controversy erupted over the gender of Khelif. The International Boxing Association (IBA) said the Algerian was a male. The International Olympic Committee's (IOC), however, defended Khelif's status, claiming Khalif is a female. IBA and IOC remain in a fight.

IBA is now revealing this request for information made to them by Italia. They do so because when the whole controversy broke out, the president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malaga, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), accused the International Boxing Federation of pressuring Angela Carini.

The International Boxing Association, dissociated from the IOC and the organisation of the sport's Olympic trials, accuses the Italians of lying. They claim that it is the other way around: it was not they who put pressure on Carini, but they were the ones who received the pressure.

The IBA has released an email it claims shows the Italian Federation’s interest in Khelif’s situation and the disqualification he faced at the World Boxing Championships in March 2023, a tournament organized by the IBA rather than the Olympic Games.

Recent revelations have shed light on the controversy surrounding the disqualification of Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting at the World Boxing Championships in March 2023. The disqualification was reportedly based on tests that determined neither athlete met the eligibility requirements for the competition.

The Italian Boxing Federation inquired about these tests in an email sent to the International Boxing Association (IBA), which has now made the correspondence public following Khelif's gold medal win. The email, dated 31 July 2024, was sent just one day before Italian boxer Angela Carino was set to face Khelif, sparking the current controversy.

The IBA insists that the matter was conclusive for them a year ago and that the IOC had been informed of all the details. They also reproach the IOC for ignoring the issue and only using passport and not gender as criteria.

The International Association has expressed "grave concern" over the "safety and welfare" of its female boxers, stating that competing against athletes who do not meet its eligibility criteria is both "unsafe and unfair." According to the Association, this situation has robbed its female boxers of the opportunity to celebrate gold. Additionally, it criticised the International Olympic Committee for engaging in what it describes as a polemic "just for spite."