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Victim of racist and sexist attacks, boxer Sarah Ourahmoune, Olympic vice-champion in 2016, withdraws her candidacy for co-president of the French Boxing Federation. The champion announced it Monday, November 11 on her Instagram account. “I have been the target of racist and sexist attacks. […]. My decision to withdraw costs me enormously, because it seems to contradict everything I defend on a daily basis. she posted, citing invectives like “the Arab on duty”, “the federation’s cleaning lady”, “the female dog of…” and “anonymous messages of incredible and deeply shocking violence”.
“I am scandalized and deeply saddened. I discover with sincere pain that my sport, the one I loved so much, is going through a period of suffering that goes beyond simple rivalries. Our society is suffering, and I am worried for all of us,” she adds in a long text.
The 42-year-old ex-athlete announced a few days earlier in the newspaper the Team his joint candidacy with the current president of the Federation, Dominique Nato, in office for three years. The 66-year-old ex-boxer maintains his candidacy and gave his support to Sarah Ourahmoune in a press release. “The French Boxing Federation stands by his side and reaffirms its commitment to lead the necessary fights to knock out those who spread hatred and division,” can we read there.
Insults from a specialized internet forum
According to the Team, Insults emanated in particular from a specialized internet forum. In a subgroup supporting the rival candidacy of Olympic champion Estelle Mossely, an anonymized and then deleted text said in particular: “This is how our president circus boxing [Dominique Nato, ndlr] decides to do to counter Madame Mossely. He went looking for a vice Olympic champion […]. Has she not understood that she serves as a service Arab? […] Perhaps she was offered a job as a cleaning lady at the federation [..].»
Sarah Ourahmoune, who retired from sports after the Rio Games in 2016, has been vice-president of the body since 2021. On her Instagram account, she believes “what [s]we have time, [s]we energy and [s]he values will find a better echo elsewhere, where [elle] can be fully effective and useful. The French Boxing Federation elections are due to take place on December 14.
