‘Shocked’ Martina Navratilova has 1-word reaction to Bulgarian boxer being forced to face Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting against her will amid gender outrage at Paris Olympics

Martina Navratilova reacted in disbelief to a video of Svetlana Kamenova Staneva being forced to face Lin Yu-ting against her will.

‘Shocked’ Martina Navratilova has 1-word reaction to Bulgarian boxer being forced to face Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting against her will amid gender outrage at Paris Olympics

Martina Navratilova (via Imago)

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova reacted to a viral video showing a Bulgarian boxer being told by her coach to continue the quarterfinal bout against Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting. Yu-ting has been at the center of a gender eligibility controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yu-ting was disqualified from the World’s Championship in New Delhi last year after the International Boxing Association (IBA) claimed she failed an unspecified eligibility test for the competition. However, the amateur boxer is competing in women’s boxing (57-kilogram) at the Olympics.

Despite the critics and intense scrutiny of Yu-ting participation, the athlete has continued to win her matches. On Sunday (August 4), she defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva 5:0 in their quarterfinal bout ensuring she will win at least a bronze medal.

FS Video

In a viral video on social media, Yu-ting’s opponent Staneva was seen telling her coach that she wanted to take off her gloves in Round 2 of the bout. The coach then told the boxer to wait and continue. Navratilova reacted to the clip in disbelief.

Staneva wanted to stop the fight after Round 2 but was forced to carry on taking punches from her male opponent. Staneva: “Take off! [my gloves]” Coach: “No, wait wait”
The video’s caption said
Wow
Martina Navratilova said in reaction to the video

Yu-ting will face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman in the semifinals on Wednesday (August 7).

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IOC President Thomas Bach slams hate speeches directed at boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at the Paris Olympics

The International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach has slammed the hate speeches directed at boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at the Paris Olympics. The two boxers have recently been the focus of intense attention since the revelation of their failed eligibility tests at the World Boxing Championship last year caught everyone’s attention.

Thomas Bach, President, IOC (Credits: Imago)

Bach said on Saturday (August 3) that the hate speech directed at the amateur boxers on social media is fueled by an unacceptable agenda.

We will not take part in a politically motivated … cultural war. What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable.

Thomas Bach said (via AP)

Both Khelif and Yu-ting are guaranteed a medal at the Paris Olympics. The former won against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori by a unanimous points decision in the women’s 66-kilogram welterweight quarterfinals.

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