Thailand offered 400 million won in prize money to its athlete in the women’s boxing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but eventually lost to Imane Khelif (26, Algeria), who had been embroiled in a ‘gender controversy’.

On the 7th (Korean time), Khelif won by a 5-0 (30-27 30-26 30-27- 30-27 30-27) decision over Janjaem Suwannapeng (Thailand) in the semifinals of the women’s 66kg class boxing competition held at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France.

According to Thailand’s Khao Sot and others, some Thai organizations and individuals offered a large amount of prize money the day before the match for Suwannapeng’s victory.

If Suvarnabeng had won against Kelif, he would have received at least 10.2 million baht (about 394 million won) in prize money. If some companies added support money, the total amount could have increased.

However, with Kelif winning by a landslide, Suvarnabeng had to be satisfied with a bronze medal.

Kelif dominated the match with overwhelming skill throughout the match.

Earlier, Kelif and Lin Yu-ting (28, Taiwan), a female boxer in the 57kg class, were embroiled in a ‘gender controversy’ and were the subject of gossip. They were disqualified from the World Boxing Championships last year. At the time, the International Boxing Federation (IBA) announced that they were excluded from the match, saying, “DNA tests confirmed that they have XY chromosomes (male chromosomes).” However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed the two fighters to compete in the Paris Olympics, and they returned to the ring. The IBA ruled that they could not compete in the women’s competition, but the IOC concluded that there was no problem with their participation in the Olympics, saying, “Chromosomes alone cannot determine gender.” After the competition, Suvarnabeng said, “I heard about Kelif, but I didn’t pay much attention to her. She is a woman, but she is very strong. I tried to use my speed, but I was too strong.” Kelif, who won up to the semifinals, will challenge for the gold medal in the final against Liu Yang (China) on the 10th. 토토사이트