Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori says she doesn’t “think it’s fair” that her next opponent, Imane Khelif, is taking part in the women’s category at the Olympics.
Hamori, 23, will face the 25-year-old Algerian in the quarter-finals of the 66kg competition on Saturday.
Khelif is one of two athletes – along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting – who have been cleared to compete despite having been disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Championships after they were said to have failed gender eligibility tests.
The Hungarian Boxing Association has protested against Khelif’s participation at Paris 2024, and the Hungarian Olympic Committee requested talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the issue.
Hamori, 23, 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!”
Hamori has beaten Ireland’s Grainne Walsh and Australian Marissa Williamson to reach the quarter-finals.
She has previously fought at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and was a silver medallist in the 66kg class at the 2022 European Under-22 Championships.
The Hungarian Boxing Association said in a statement it “objects to the appearance of the Algerian competitor” in the Olympics.
Khelif beat Angela Carini in the first round of competition as the Italian abandoned their bout after 46 seconds.
Carini said on Thursday she ended the fight to “preserve her life”, but apologised to her opponent on Friday, saying “if the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision”.
In its statement, the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) said it wanted to protect “the right of female competitors to equal opportunities and fair competition”.
“The president of the MOB initiated an immediate consultation with the IOC sports director in order to clarify the situation,” it added.
The Russia-led International Boxing Association (IBA), which carried out the tests last year, said Khelif “failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA regulations”.
Khelif has always competed in the women’s division and is recognised by the IOC as a female athlete.
“The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said on Friday.
