The Paris 2024 Olympic boxing tournament will be remembered as the one held at Roland Garros. The majestic setting for the ring and the best amateur boxing in the world will be hard to forget. But it will also be hard to forget the controversy surrounding the participation of two boxers, one Algerian and the other Taiwanese. 

Their gender has sparked widespread debate as to whether they should have been allowed to compete. Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting both ended up as Olympic champions, in a tournament where their participation was made possible by a special IOC permit after their disqualification from the IBA World Championships. Their chromosomes are not typical of women, which led their rivals to complain loudly.

It is unfortunate that the remarkable level of boxing on display in Paris was overshadowed by this debate. It remains unresolved and is likely to generate further controversy. The gestures of the Turkish boxer Esra Yaldiz and the Bulgarian boxer Svetlana Staneva, marking with their fingers the double X of the female chromosome, attracted worldwide attention. The IOC justified their participation,the IBA stood by their disqualification and opinions were divided. On receiving their medals, both boxers shed tears on the podium.

On the sporting side, the excitement, passion and dedication did not disappoint. Fifty-two medals were awarded, with five golds going to Uzbekistan, who entered seven boxers. Almost a clean sweep. Abdumalik Khalokov, Bakhodir Jalolov, Lazizbek Mullojonov, Asodkhuja Mydinkhjaev and Hasangboy Dusmatov achieved Olympic glory. 

They proved that these are names to watch in the future of world boxing. Some, such as Dusmatov and Jalolov, repeated their Olympic gold medals. They are continuing their winning streak. Uzbekistan's investment in grassroots boxing has paid off, as reflected in these results.

However, the Paris tournament offered much more. It rekindled hope in countries such as Spain, where Reyes Pla won a bronze medal, her first since Rafa Lozano, now her coach, did the same in Sydney in 2000. Spain did not stop there. In the final in Paris, Ayoub Gadfa won the 92kg final. It was a tough fight against the dominant figure of the category, Jalolov, against whom he could not prevail. Nevertheless, Gadfa's silver medal felt like gold for Spain.

While Spain were happy with their two medals, hosts France were disappointed to miss out on their two best chances of gold: Sophianne Oumiha and Bilal Bennama. The two French boxers had to settle for silver amid tears and applause from the Roland Garros crowd, who had witnessed two of the best fights in Paris.

Sophianne Oumiha lost to Erislandy Alvarez, a Cuban boxer who is destined to be one of the best in the future at 63kg. Once again, Cuban boxing reached new heights by winning the final against the Frenchman. It showed its unique power and style. Erislandy will be remembered as one of the three outstanding boxers of the tournament. The epic final. 

This victory was a consolation for Cuban boxing after the disappointment of Julio Cesar de la Cruz at -92kg, who lost to Loren Berto, representing Azerbaijan. De la Cruz could not retire with the dream of becoming a triple Olympic champion. In boxing, only Hungary's Laszlo Papp and Cuba's Teófilo Stevenson and Félix Savón have achieved this feat. 

Nor could his compatriot Arlen López in the 80kg category, who despite being a double Olympic champion, fell short, leaving Cuba without the symbolic honour that would have elevated it to the pinnacle of boxing. Cuba remains a world power, but it lost some of its lustre in Paris.

China was the other powerhouse. It showed exponential growth in women's boxing. It won gold with Chang Yuan and Wu Yu, while Li Qian secured two silver medals with Yang Wenlu and Yang Liu, who lost in the final to Ireland's Kellie Harrington and Algeria's Imane Khelif. The Asian giant once again showed its ability to grow. It has reached an extremely high level in women's boxing. Harrington won gold for Ireland in the 60kg category, adding to the veteran boxer's impressive record.

Panama lost momentum in the men's boxing competition, but Atheyna Bylon stood out in the women's category. In a country where Roberto 'Hands of Stone' Durán is a national symbol, it is remarkable that its top representative at Paris 2024 is a woman. She is the first Panamanian to compete in Olympic boxing. Bylon, 35, won a silver medal for her country after a long career in the sport. She was world champion in 2014 and chose the Paris Games to end her career on a high.

Turkey narrowly missed out on the gold medal. Hatice Akbaş and Buse Naz Cakiroglu, who both lost in the final, took two silver medals in the women's competition.

Ukraine celebrated the gold medal of Oleksandr Khayzhniak, who lived up to expectations and came full circle after losing in the Tokyo 2020 final. The Ukrainian was the most prolific boxer of the tournament. He impressed in every fight. He defeated Arlen López, the Cuban who was seeking a third Olympic title but was stopped in the semi-final by Khayzhniak's powerful punches. It was a significant gold for a country like Ukraine, which came so close to winning in Tokyo.

The Paris boxing tournament left us with the conclusion that the potential of the Eastern European countries is enormous, as is that of Asia. America came up short in many categories. Mexico won only one silver medal: Marco Alonso in the men's -71kg category, who lost to Asodkhuja Mydinkhjaev of Uzbekistan.

There is no doubt that boxing is alive and well. The huge crowds at the venues, especially at Roland Garros, are a clear sign of the immense importance of boxing in the world. Its appeal to fans is undeniable. That is why it is so important to resolve the dispute as soon as possible. It is essential to clear up any doubts so that boxers can have a more secure future. The controversy that has divided the landscape due to doubts about women's boxing needs to be resolved urgently. The path to 2028 must be made clear. Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting have their gold medals.

And the final noteworthy detail was the medal won by Cyndy Ngamba, the first for the Refugee Team. The Cameroonian boxer, based in Britain, secured a bronze medal, which was celebrated.