Twenty-year-old Jasmine Daunakamakama‘s dreams of making boxing history were shattered not in the ring but by a bureaucratic nightmare that highlights the challenges facing athletes from smaller Pacific nations.
The Fijian/Samoan amateur boxer was among 13 women prohibited from competing at the World Boxing Championships in the UK earlier this month after missing a deadline for new genetic sex testing requirements—tests that weren’t even available in her home country of Fiji.
Daunakamakama was poised to become Fiji’s sole female representative on boxing’s biggest international stage, joining competitors from Nigeria, Dominica and the Philippines who were also sidelined by the same testing debacle.
The controversy began when World Boxing introduced genetic sex testing for female boxers for the first time this year, with plans to extend similar requirements to male athletes in 2026. The Fiji Amateur Boxing Association only learned of these new requirements in July and dutifully followed instructions to send samples to an approved laboratory in the United Kingdom.
The timing proved catastrophic. Results arrived one day after the competition draw, rendering Jasmine and the other affected athletes ineligible to compete.
“As a mother I was heartbroken for Jasmine, knowing how hard she trained,”
said Beulah Daunakamakama, who served as both Fiji’s team manager and watched her daughter’s Olympic dreams temporarily derailed.
“She would have made history for Fiji, but she took the news with grace. Her focus is always on giving her best in the ring.”
World Boxing has since acknowledged the severity of the situation, with the organization’s president personally meeting with Jasmine following a sparring session in Liverpool to offer an apology.
However, Beulah argues that the damage extends far beyond individual disappointment. Speaking from her dual perspective as both a mother and team manager, she criticized the implementation as fundamentally unfair to athletes from developing nations.
“In Fiji this kind of test simply isn’t available,”
she explained.
“Rules are important but the way this was managed was not fair. We want to work with World Boxing to understand what alternatives might be acceptable so our women aren’t left out again.”
The incident has exposed broader systemic inequalities in women’s boxing, particularly in Pacific Island nations where resources and infrastructure lag behind more established boxing programs.
“We need more support for women’s boxing in Fiji,”
Beulah emphasized.
“If rugby has flourished because of strong funding and resources why not boxing? Our women deserve the same chance.”
The conversation extends beyond mere funding to encompass safety and development infrastructure for female athletes. Beulah acknowledged the complex challenges facing women in sports, noting the importance of protective policies while calling for comprehensive support systems.
“Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment are real risks. We only need to look at the statistics on violence against women in Fiji to understand why we must actively manage this. Girls should feel safe to step into the ring,”
she said.
Her vision for reform encompasses multiple areas of development:
“It’s about making sure there’s a pathway for the next generation of female boxers. We need more female officials, stronger policies, better facilities and real investment. It’s important that Fiji recognise rugby is not the only sport we are good at.”
Despite this setback, Jasmine remains focused on her boxing career. Her immediate goal centers on next year’s Commonwealth Games while her ultimate ambition remains qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The young boxer’s response to adversity has impressed even those closest to her. Rather than dwelling on the disappointment, she has redirected her energy toward training, nutrition management, technical development and accumulating valuable ring experience.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how administrative oversights can derail years of preparation and sacrifice, particularly for athletes from nations with limited resources and infrastructure. As international sporting bodies continue to evolve their regulations, the challenge lies in ensuring that new requirements don’t inadvertently create barriers that disadvantage competitors from developing regions.
