Anna Luca Hamori, the Hungarian boxer who will next face Imane Khelif, feels it is not fair that the Algerian is competing in the women's section at the Paris Olympics. The 23-year-old Hamori will face Khelif in the quarter-finals of the 66kg category on Saturday, August 3. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
Hamori wrote on social media: "In my humble opinion, I don't think it's fair that this contestant can compete in the women's category. But I cannot concern myself with that now. I cannot change it, it's life. I can promise you one thing... I will do my best to win and I will fight as long as I can!"
The 25-year-old Khelif is one of two athletes - the other one being Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting - who have been allowed to take part at Paris 2024, despite being disqualified from the Women's World Championships last year in Delhi after they were said to have failed gender eligibility tests.
Ahead of Hamori's match-up gainst Khelif, the Hungarian Boxing Association has protested against the Algerian's participation at the 2024 Games, and the Hungarian Olympic Committee sought talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the matter.
Hamori defeated Ireland's Grainne Walsh and Australian Marissa Williamson en route the quarter-finals. She has previously competed at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and was a silver medallist in the 66kg class at the 2022 European Under-22 Championships.
Meanwhile, Kheireddine Barbari, who is the head of the Algerian delegation at the Paris Olympics, has said that the Algerian Olympic Committee had filed a complaint with the IOC over the "immoral" campaign against Khelif.
Elsewhere, Lin Yu-ting's next opponent Svetlana Kamenova Staneva, too, has disapproved of the fact that she has to face a boxer whose Olympics participation has been challenged. Lin faces Staneva of Bulgaria in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
"With the situation in this category, which, you know, people are talking about all over Facebook, the internet and media, this is not good for women's boxing," Staneva said.
A Bulgarian Boxing Federation spokesperson too chimed in: "We believe that athletes should be placed on an equal level in any competition, especially when it comes to the Olympic Games.
"In the case of Imane Khalif and Lin Yu-ting, we see no such equal treatment and strongly oppose their participation."
