Ani Hovsepyan Speaks Out on Discrimination in Women's Boxing in Armenia

European boxing champion Ani Hovsepyan, in an interview with the YouTube channel Barev Olympos, revealed systemic issues faced by Armenia’s women's national boxing team. According to her, the Armenian Boxing Federation shows clear gender inequality.

Women’s Boxing in Armenia: Lack of Funding and Sparring

Hovsepyan said that the women’s team receives significantly less financial support than the men’s. Training camps are shorter, sparring partners are scarce, and there is a lack of participation in international tournaments. This severely affects the athletes’ preparation and competition experience.

Why Ani Hovsepyan Missed the 2025 World Championships

Despite the official explanation of an injury, Ani Hovsepyan stated that she did not attend the 2025 World Boxing Championship because the Federation refused to accredit her personal coach. In her view, the national team was not prepared to participate in the tournament.

The Armenian women’s team ended its 2025 World Championship participation without winning any medals.

A New Chance — World Boxing Championship 2025 in England

Despite the challenges, Hovsepyan announced her intention to compete in the World Boxing Championship organized by the new World Boxing federation, set to take place in England in September 2025. However, Armenia is not yet a member of this organization. Ani also expressed her dream of competing in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

She did not rule out the possibility of leaving amateur sports for professional boxing if the situation in Armenian women’s boxing does not improve.

The situation in Armenian women’s boxing raises serious concerns. Ani Hovsepyan, one of Armenia’s brightest sports stars, is calling for change and is unafraid to speak openly about systemic issues. Her potential move to professional boxing could serve as a wake-up call for the country’s sports authorities.