The Hungarian Boxing Association has lodged a protest with the International Olympic Committee regarding its choice to permit Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to compete at Paris 2024, prior to her quarter-final match against one of its athletes.
Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori is set to face Khelif on Saturday amid ongoing discussions about gender eligibility in women’s boxing at the upcoming Olympics.
Khelif secured victory against Italian Angela Carini on Thursday, while another fighter at the center of the dispute, Lin Yu-ting from Chinese Taipei, also won her match on Friday, defeating Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova.
The participation of Khelif and Lin has faced significant scrutiny during these Games. Both athletes competed without issue at Tokyo 2020 but were disqualified from the previous year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for not meeting gender eligibility criteria.
After their bout, Lin and Turdibekova exchanged glances but refrained from embracing or shaking hands, with the latter leaving the ring swiftly and opting not to comment. Lin, the top seed in the women’s under-57kg category, will compete in the quarter-finals against Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva, who triumphed over Ireland’s Michaela Walsh.
On Thursday, Carini was visibly upset after retiring from her match against Khelif just 46 seconds in, stating: “I have never experienced a punch like this.” On Friday, she expressed her desire to apologize to Khelif for not shaking hands.
“This entire controversy makes me feel sad,” Carini told the Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport. “I sympathize with my opponent as well. If the IOC has granted her the right to compete, I respect their decision.”
Lajos Berko, a member of the Hungarian association’s executive board, informed Hungary’s state news agency MTI that their athlete Hamori will confront Khelif in their match on Saturday.
Berko also mentioned that the Hungarian Boxing Association plans to formally protest to the IOC, urging a revision of the decision that allows a previously barred boxer to compete. The association is also communicating with the Hungarian Olympic Committee about potentially challenging Khelif’s eligibility through legal means. “It saddens me that we are embroiled in a scandal and discussing a matter that has no place in sports,” Berko stated. “This is simply unacceptable.” The Hungarian Olympic Committee has similarly sought discussions with the IOC to secure the “right of female competitors to equitable opportunities and fair play.”
Lin Yu-ting achieved victory against Sitora Turdibekova, but the two boxers did not embrace or shake hands after their match. Photograph: Ed Alcock/The Guardian
Hamori is Hungary’s first female boxer to compete at the Olympics. Following her victory over Australia’s Marissa Williamson Pohlman in the 66kg division, she stated that she has no concerns about confronting Khelif. “I’m not frightened,” Hamori remarked. “The media and social media narratives don’t affect me.”
However, in a post on social media, Hamori expressed, “In my humble opinion, it seems unfair for this contestant to compete in the women’s category … but I cannot dwell on that right now. It’s something beyond my control; it’s life.”
The IBA is not overseeing the Olympic boxing event after being expelled from the Olympic movement due to inadequate reforms in judging and refereeing, as well as issues surrounding financial stability and governance. The IOC has confirmed its approval for both fighters to compete under the less stringent gender eligibility criteria that were in effect during the Tokyo Games in 2021.
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Last year, IBA president Umar Kremlev claimed that DNA tests had “confirmed their XY chromosomes, resulting in their exclusion.” It remains unclear what testing protocols they underwent, and the IOC criticized the IBA for altering its gender rules mid-2023 world championships.
On Thursday evening, the IOC remarked: “These two athletes have participated in international boxing events in the women’s category for many years, including at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) world championships, and IBA-sanctioned contests. They were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Late in the IBA world championships in 2023, they were abruptly disqualified without the opportunity for due process …
“The current backlash against these athletes arises solely from this arbitrary ruling, which was enacted without any proper procedural framework – especially given that these athletes had been competing at the highest level for countless years.”
Past controversies surrounding gender eligibility in sports have focused on athletes with differences in sex development (DSD); it is unclear whether this applies to the two athletes involved in the current issue. Middle-distance runner Caster Semenya, legally recognized as female at birth but with a condition that results in higher testosterone levels than those without, secured a ruling for discrimination from the European Court of Human Rights, with an appeal still pending.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the Olympic boxing match between Khelif and Carini as “an incredibly uncomfortable watch.”
Nandy acknowledged the complexity involved in balancing fairness and inclusivity for female competitors in sports. However, she emphasized that “the biological realities are far more intricate than how they are portrayed on social media and in some speculations.”
She added: “As sports organizations strive to balance inclusion, fairness, and safety, the government has a role in ensuring they have the guidance, framework, and support necessary to make these decisions correctly. I will discuss these matters with sports bodies in the coming weeks and months.”
