Italian boxer Angela Carini, who abandoned her Olympic bout against Imane Khelif has admitted that she wants to apologise for how she handled the moments after the fight.
The participation of the Algerian at the Paris Olympics has been controversial after it was revealed that the fighter was previously disqualified from the World Championships last year after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test.
Khelif then faced a huge backlash after her fight against Carini when the Italian fighter abandoned the bout after just 46 seconds.
MORE HERE: 🚨 Second boxer in the gender eligibility row wins to progress to the next round
Following the contest Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand and walked away, something that she has now admitted she would like to apologise for.
“All this controversy makes me sad,” Carini told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”
“It wasn’t something I intended to do [refuse handshake],” Carini said. “Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.”
