Anna Luca Hamori Criticizes Opponent’s Olympic Eligibility

Imane Khelif is set to compete against Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori on Saturday.

Anna Luca Hamori, the Hungarian boxer has raised concerns about the fairness of her upcoming quarter-final opponent, Imane Khelif, competing in the women’s category at the Olympics. Hamori, 23, will face the 25-year-old Algerian in the 66kg division on Saturday. Khelif along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting received disqualification from last year’s Women’s World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests but has received clearance to compete in Paris 2024.

The Hungarian Boxing Association has formally protested Khelif’s participation and the Hungarian Olympic Committee has requested a meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to address the issue. Kheireddine Barbari, head of the Algerian delegation, responded by saying the Algerian Olympic Committee had filed a complaint with the IOC, accusing them of an “immoral” campaign against Khelif.

Anna Luca Hamori, who previously won against Ireland’s Grainne Walsh and Australia’s Marissa Williamson to reach the quarter-finals, expressed on social media that she believes it’s unfair for Khelif to compete in the women’s category. However, she acknowledged that she must focus on her performance and is determined to give her best in the fight. Svetlana Kamenova Staneva from Bulgaria, Lin Yu-ting’s next opponent, also criticized the situation.

Staneva stated that the controversy surrounding the eligibility of Khelif and Lin harms women’s boxing. A spokesperson from the Bulgarian Boxing Federation agreed, arguing that athletes should compete on an equal footing, especially in the Olympics. Both Khelif and Lin advanced to the quarter-finals comfortably. Khelif won her first-round match when Angela Carini withdrew after 46 seconds, while Lin dominated Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) initially banned Khelif and Lin for not meeting eligibility criteria but faced backlash from the IOC which questioned the process and reinstated their eligibility based on their passport gender designation.

Cataleya