Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori shared her sense of achievement after a ‘hard-fought’ battle in the women’s 66kg quarter-final, where she was defeated by Imane Khelif, a boxer at the center of a gender controversy at the Olympics.
The involvement of Khelif and her fellow competitor Lin Yu-ting at Paris 2024 has come under scrutiny after both were disqualified from last year’s World Championships for not meeting gender eligibility standards.
On Thursday, Khelif from Algeria completed her match in just 46 seconds, with opponent Angela Carini remarking afterwards that she had ‘never felt a punch like this.’
The Italian boxer later expressed regret for her reaction during the match.
Khelif clinched her second consecutive victory in the tournament on Saturday by defeating Hamori, securing herself a medal and setting up a semi-final clash with Janjaem Suwannapheng on Tuesday evening.
Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori expressed her pride after suffering defeat by Imane Khelif
Hamori (right) lost out in the women’s 66kg quarter-final at the Paris Olympics
In her post-fight comments, Hamori stated, ‘I’m incredibly proud of myself for having fought hard.’
‘This was a challenging fight, but I felt I accomplished everything I aimed for beforehand. I believe it was a good match; I’m proud of myself and grateful to be here.’
‘This competition has been wonderful for me; it was my childhood dream. I’m truly happy.’
‘I wish all the best to my opponents and others heading to the finals, and I’m thankful to my coaches, the Hungarian team, my family, and all who supported me. Thank you to everyone.’
With Algerian fans cheering her on at the North Paris Arena, Khelif tested her opponent with a flurry of sharp jabs.
An emotional Khelif guaranteed she will win at least a bronze medal after her victory
Hamori admitted the fight had been ‘hard’ but revelled in achieving her childhood dream
Hamori managed to deliver some effective punches of her own, including a strong right hook in the second round; however, Khelif maintained control with impressive body combinations.
In the third round, Khelif landed another significant blow to Hamori’s face before winning by unanimous decision.
On Friday night, the Hungarian Boxing Association raised concerns about Khelif’s eligibility and requested clarification on her participation.
Balazs Furjes, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from Hungary, spoke to the media after the fight, asserting that the ‘consequences’ of boxing at Paris 2024 need to be assessed after the Games.
‘Firstly, we Hungarians, as proud and longstanding members of the international Olympic family, have always advocated for fair competition,’ he stated.
‘We firmly believe that every match should be decided in the ring.
‘Of course, the boxing competitions in Paris bring their own outcomes, and these must be carefully reviewed after the Games.’
Chinese Taipei’s Lin also triumphed in her women’s featherweight (-57kg) match on Friday, securing a unanimous decision win against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova. She is slated to compete again on Sunday.
Both Lin and Khelif have participated in female boxing events for several years; however, the International Boxing Association (IBA) stated that both failed ‘to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition’ in tests conducted in 2023.
The participation of Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting at Paris 2024 has led to scrutiny
Nonetheless, the IBA was removed as the global governing body for boxing by the IOC in June of last year, which is now overseeing the sport in Paris.
During a press conference on Saturday morning, IOC president Thomas Bach responded to the criticisms directed at the two boxers, denouncing the ‘hate speech’ they have faced on social media.
‘Let’s be unequivocal; we are speaking about women’s boxing,’ Bach emphasized.
‘We have two boxers who were born as women, raised as women, possess female passports, and have competed as women for many years.’
‘This clearly defines them as women. There was never any doubt regarding their identity.’
