WATCH: Bulgarian boxer Svetlana Staneva makes "X" gesture after losing to Lin Yu-Ting who was banned by IBA for failing eligibility test last year

After losing her bout against Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting at the Paris Olympics, Svetlana Staneva of Bulgaria made an "X" hand sign. Notably, Staneva's gesture comes amid an eligibility row in the women's boxing competition at the Paris Olympics.

On Sunday, August 4, Yu-Ting faced Svetlana for the quarterfinal matchup in the featherweight division, where the 28-year-old Taiwanese defeated the Bulgarian by a unanimous decision of 5-0. With her victory over Staneva, the New Taipei City-based boxer has ensured that she will medal at the Paris Olympics. Notably, Lin Yu-Ting is one of two female boxers who have taken center stage at the Paris event over eligibility criteria.

Lin is one of the two female boxers who were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for not meeting the International Boxing Association's (IBA's) eligibility criteria, the other being Imane Khelif of Algeria. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave both the green flag to participate in the French event, stating that she falls well under their eligibility standards.

In a recent development, Lin's fight on Sunday became a focal point of discussion as Staneva hyped up the spectators and then made an 'X' hand gesture. An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video of the same and wrote:

"Bulgarian female boxer Svetlana Staneva makes ‘X’ hand gesture to signal she is a real woman, after being beaten by biological male Lin Yu-Ting. XX= Female Chromosomes."

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Lin Yu-Ting's statement following her victory over Svetlana Staneva

Lin Yu-Ting at Olympic Games Paris 2024 - Boxing - Source: Getty

Lin Yu-Ting's victory has ensured a third boxing medal for Taiwan at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. The boxer was confident after making it to the semi-finals and has extended her gratitude to her supporters.

Reflecting on her quarterfinal win, Lin stated (as quoted by Reuters):

"I know all of Taiwan's people are standing behind me and supporting me, and I will carry this energy to the end. I received a lot of supporting messages. I did not read them because I shut down my social media platforms."

She also received support from Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, who took to his social media handle and wrote (as quoted by Reuters):

"Yu-ting is great! In recent days, Taiwan's people have been indignant at the slander against her. Facing the challenge, Yu-ting is fearless and uses her strength to crush the rumours. Let us continue to cheer for her!"

He applauded Lin's fighting spirit and congratulated her for making it to the semi-finals of the Paris Games.