“I was the target of racist and sexist attacks: words like “the Arab on duty”, “housekeeper of the federation”, or even “the female dog of…”, not to mention anonymous messages from an incredible and deeply shocking violence.” A few days after announcing her candidacy for co-president of the French boxing federation, Sarah Ourahmoune (42) refuses to go any further.
She presented herself in tandem with outgoing president Dominique Nato. Olympic silver medalist in Rio in 2016, she planned to “commit to save her sport”. In an open letter, she explains the reasons for her withdrawal. In the space of a few days, Sarah Ourahmoune born in Sèvres (92) received torrents of insults about her origins, in particular. “I never thought I would be attacked like this for my origins or for the simple fact of being a woman. I can’t accept it, I refuse to do it. And for the first time, I feel that this fight is not here, in this place, that I am going to lead it. I am scandalized and deeply affected. 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. »
“My time, my energy and my values will find a better echo elsewhere”
Withdrawing when she had high hopes of relaunching her sport was not easy, writes the boxer. “My decision to withdraw costs me enormously, because it seems to contradict everything I defend on a daily basis: courage, resilience, the ability to fight in hostile environments, to push the limits of possibility, and to defend equality, diversity, mixedness”. She continues: “However, today, I believe that my time, my energy and my values will find a better echo elsewhere, where I can be fully effective and useful. I will continue to uphold these values and act for sport, for youth, and for a fairer world.”
The elections for the head of the French federation will take place on December 14. Two lists present themselves: that of the outgoing president Dominique Nato (66 years old) now alone and elected since 2020 after having been DTN for a long time and that of the Rio Olympic champion in 2016 Estelle Mossely.
