Hungarian federation objects to boxer's fight with Algeria's Khelif

PARIS : The Hungarian Boxing Federation has contacted the country's Olympic Committee (MOB) and the International Olympic Committee to object to Luca Anna Hamori's fight with Imane Khelif as a gender disupte rages, the governing body said on Friday.

Hamori is due to face Khelif, a silver medallist at the 2022 worlds, in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Hungarian boxer said she was not scared of Khelif after her Italian opponent abandoned their bout after 46 seconds due to what she said was the intense pain.

"In the last few hours, our federation has notified the Hungarian Olympic Committee of our objections to the participation of the Algerian athlete, who was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after a failed biological test result," the federation said.

Khelif was permitted to participate in the Games by the IOC after it stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body over governance issues, and took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition.

"The MOB is also looking after the interests of the Hungarian athlete and is therefore continuously examining the means it can use to protect Hamori's rights to fair competition under the rules in force," the federation said.

"The MOB president has initiated immediate consultations with the IOC Director of Sport to clarify the situation."