Imane Khelif’s victory against Angela Carini in the women’s boxing has caused controversy at the Olympic Games.

Carini withdrew 46 seconds into the bout against Khelif after deciding she could not longer continue after being hit with two punches.

The controversy stems from Khelif previously failing a gender eligibility test meaning she was disqualified from last year’s World Championships.

She was cleared to compete in the 2024 Games earlier this month as well as Taiwan competitor Lin Yu-ting as it was administered by a different body to the World Championships.

Last year’s competition in India was organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which is no longer a federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

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After her controversial win, the Algerian broke her social media silence with a message to her fans.

She wrote on her official Instagram account: “Elhamdolilah. First Victory.”

The 25-year-old will face Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori after she defeated Australian star Marissa Williamson via split decision.

Their bout will take place on Saturday 3 August at 4:22pm.

Khelif dodged the media after she exited the arena following her controversial win against Carini.

Speaking after withdrawing from Thursday’s fight, Carini explained why she had pulled out of the bout after initially agreeing to fight.

“I have always honoured my country with loyalty,” she said. “This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight anymore.

“I put an end to the match because after the second blow, after years of experience in the ring and a life of fighting, I felt a strong pain in my nose.

“I said ‘that’s enough’ because… I could not bring the match to an end. So I thought, maybe it’s better to put an end to the match.”

British boxing expert Steve Bunce revealed fighters’ opinions on Khelif’s participation in the games, claiming not all female fighters are opposed to her inclusion.

He told the BBC: “I think it has hurt Olympic boxing at a crucial time where its future is still being discussed. It’s an absolute disaster.

“What’s interesting is in the build up to the fight, some of her old opponents, good fighters, world champions and European champions, have said [Khelif] is not a cheat.

“She’s not a devastating puncher, that is only her fifth stoppage.

“Carini, I feel for her absolutely, but you have to feel a little bit for Khelif, she’s stuck in the middle of something here that’s absolutely devastating and it’s not over yet.”

Italian boxer Angela Carini has explained why she withdrew from her fight with Algeria’s Imane Khelif at the Olympic Games after just 46 seconds.

Carini pulled out of her welterweight bout with Khelif, amid an ongoing row over the Algerian’s eligibility for the Games.

Khelif was declared the winner when Carini withdrew after being hit with two punches from her opponent.

The Telegraph report that the Italian sustained a suspected broken nose in the opening exchanges, leading to her decision to pull out of the fight.

Khelif’s participation at the Games is controversial, as the Algerian was disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests.

She was disqualified hours before her gold medal bout at the Championships in New Delhi after she failed to meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria, with the BBC reporting that she failed a testosterone level test.

Reuters report that at the time IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency TASS that Khelif and Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who was also disqualified, had “XY chromosomes”.

However, the IBA is no longer a federation that is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

As a result, the boxing competition at the 2024 Olympics is being organised by another body, the Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), which approved both Khelif and Yu-ting to take part in the Games.

Speaking immediately after Thursday’s fight, Carini explained why she pulled had out of the contest.

“I have always honoured my country with loyalty,” she said in a post-fight interview described as “highly emotional” by The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown.

“This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight anymore.

“I put an end to the match because after the second blow, after years of experience in the ring and a life of fighting, I felt a strong pain in my nose.

“I said ‘that’s enough’ because… I could not bring the match to an end. So I thought, maybe it’s better to put an end to the match.”

The Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan said Carini had told reporters that she had “never felt punches” like Khelif’s in a fight before.

“Carini fighting back tears afterwards. Giving lengthy responses to journalists. Said strength of punches was the reason she pulled out,” Keegan posted on X.

“Added wasn’t for her to decide who competes. She wanted to honour the competition but stopped for her health. Said she’d never felt punches like it. Khelif walked through without answering questions.”

Khelif progresses to the quarter-finals of the women’s welterweight competition, with her next fight scheduled for Saturday against an opponent who is yet to be confirmed.