What did Angela Carini say after her fight with controversial boxer Imane Khelif? All about Italian's withdrawal from Olympics

Italian boxer Angela Carini expressed disappointment at the punch she faced from the Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, which led to her withdrawal within 46 seconds of the bout. Carini shared that she entered the ring to honor her father and represent her country with loyalty, but that fighting with Khelif, who failed a gender test in 2023, took her by surprise.

Angela Carini, the boxer hailing from Naples, Italy, competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the women's welterweight division. She also has a medal from the 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in her bag.

Carini faced supposedly the hardest blow of her career when Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer, hurled two punches at her face, forcing her to pull herself out of the match. As per Carini's statement, she was aiming for the Olympics to honor her late father, who always motivated her in life.

“I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this," said Angela Carini. (via The Guardian)

After her latest bout with Khelif and hurting her nose, Carini expressed that the situation left her inconsolable since she is a fighter and doesn't give up easily.

“I am in pieces because I am a fighter, they taught me to be a warrior. I have always tried to behave with honour, I have always represented my country with loyalty. This time I didn’t manage to because I couldn’t fight any more...I have a warrior’s mentality. This time I didn’t manage. I felt too much pain on my nose. I said enough," said the Italian boxer.

She also claimed to be a mature woman, who has the dignity to draw a line whenever and wherever needed.

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Angela Carini broke down in tears after qualifying for Paris Olympics

In an interview released after one of the boxing qualifying events, Carini shed light on how her father's words guided her. She broke down in tears, showed her late father's picture on her phone and quoted him, saying:

"Angelina, a champion is a bit like cycling. The champion, when they see the last kilometer, you know what they do? They pedal even harder. So you reach the last kilometer and pedal, go all the way, because I'll always be with you," she said. (via X post of @sfmcguire79)

She talked about reaching out to her father when the training felt intense.