Zsolt Gyulay, President of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC), has called for urgent discussions with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Director of Sport. The issue revolves around the presence of Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer with a masculine appearance, in the women’s boxing quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics. Hungarian Conservative has reported this morning in detail on the issues with Khelif being in the competition. The HOC is also seeking consultations with the Italian National Olympic Committee and other relevant national Olympic committees, as Khelif defeated an Italian opponent in the round of 16 in a one-sided match, leading to the Italian’s surrender after only 40 seconds, and is scheduled to box against Hungary’s Luca Hámori.
The HOC emphasized in its statement that while it respects the IOC’s rules, it stands firmly for gender equality and fair competition for female athletes. The committee reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights and interests of Hungarian Olympians,
continuously examining legal avenues to ensure Luca Hámori’s right to a fair competition.
The HOC’s position is that gender equality in women’s sports cannot be limited to an equal number of participants from both genders at the Olympics. The committee insists that female competitors must be biologically female, defined unequivocally as having female biological characteristics.