Algerian boxer Imane Khelif seems to have hit out at Italy’s Olympic boxing team for making efforts to weaken her.

Khelif who has been through a lot of gender controversy stories in the past few days was seen speaking about how she is certain that the Italians launched a smear campaign to throw her off of her game.

The star boxer mentioned how Angela Carini was not someone new to her. The latter knew her well from training camps of the past and she considered her to be a great friend.

The fact that she would turn around and stab her in the back and make this entire episode one that was Imane’s fault for being tougher than her and forcing her to give up so soon shocked her and the team.

Both Khelif and boxer Lin Yu-ting were slammed as they became the center of a gender row controversy at this year’s Olympics. Both were provided with green lights to take part in this competition.

This is even though they failed eligibility tests for gender in the past championships.

The issue came into the world’s spotlight when Khelif forced Carini to call it quits during the opening round of the women’s welterweight round in Paris last week.