“We agreed to give the village a new face and breathe new life into it, with the victory of Imane Khelif,” her cousin Mounir Khelif, 36, told AFP.
“We all helped each other, some bringing couscous, others oil and vegetables, while those who couldn’t help with provisions helped with the preparation,” said Amina Saadi, 52, a mother of six.
“We are all united behind Imane Khelif, who has honoured Algeria, that’s the least we can offer her”, she said.
‘I’m a strong woman with special powers’
The boxer has been the victim of a social media hate campaign that portrays her as a “man fighting women”.
“I’m a strong woman with special powers. From the ring, I sent a message to those who were against me,” she said Friday after her win.
The gender controversy ignited in the French capital when Khelif defeated Angela Carini in 46 seconds in her opening bout, the Italian reduced to tears and abandoning the fight after suffering a badly hurt nose.
Algerians from all walks of life have showed their solidarity with Khelif, irritated that her father was forced to show her birth certificate to journalists to prove she was born a girl.