From Hassiba Boulmerka to Imane Khelif, Algerian female athletes prove they can make history despite barriers

As one climbs the stairs of the Nasr Athletic Hussein Dey (NAHD) club in Algiers, attention is drawn to the pictures of male teams on the walls — some in black and white, others in colour.

While these photos are inspiring, they also raise an important question: where are the pictures of the female teams, especially since women have been part of the club for decades?

The answer can be found in the club’s office, where a dozen trophies proudly sit atop cabinets, all won by Algerian sportswomen.

"There are many more, but since we don’t have an office of our own, they are stored in different rooms of the building," says Mokrane Ben Abbas, the coach of the Hussein Dey Marines (HDM) women’s basketball team, speaking to The New Arab.

For the 59-year-old, much of his life has been dedicated to women’s sports in Algeria, and the trophies above his head are a result of his efforts to save the club from disbandment in 2001.

"I did it for the female athletes who were devastated by the decision. About a hundred of them lost their team. They came back and won the Algerian championship that very same year," he says proudly to The New Arab.

Mokrane admits that one factor that nearly led to the club’s disbandment was economic issues.

"Due to a financial crisis, the club decided to abandon many disciplines to save football. The decision affected some male athletes too, but female teams were the most impacted," he recalls.

Struggles continue today 

Despite saving women’s sports in Algeria, Mokrane revealed to The New Arab that the same struggle continues today.

Commenting on the current situation, Mokrane explains: "Except for football, sports in Algeria are struggling in general, but women’s sports suffer even more. I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing, but women always seem to come second in every field. Sports are no exception, even though female athletes have always been remarkably successful in Algeria."

Elaborating further, he notes that financial issues remain a significant concern, especially for athletes in individual sports who often have to cover their own expenses.

Sofia Benhalima, a 29-year-old former tennis player who turned to coaching after an injury, weighed in on the matter, stating, "It’s the first obstacle in our discipline. Tennis uses a ranking system where players accrue points based on their performance in events organized by the ITF (International Tennis Federation) over the past 12 months, which requires a lot of travelling."

Sofia adds, "The sad reality is that most of the talented tennis players I’ve encountered in my career are poor and can never afford such expenses without sponsorship."

She further explains that Algerian tennis players face this burden because Algeria doesn’t host many ITF events.

"This year, Algeria will host four, which is not enough," Sofia confesses.

"You need to follow the ITF calendar to reach the top 100 worldwide to participate in the Grand Slams. When I was a player, I tried to keep up by competing in neighbouring countries like Tunisia, Morocco, and even France, but it still wasn’t enough. I never made it past 1500, although I won local titles," concludes Sofia, whose injury caused her to drop even lower in the rankings.

Beyond economic issues, the lack of infrastructure has also presented a challenge for female sportswomen in Algeria today.

Sofia says: "For example, we lack covered courts, which makes it practically impossible to train during the winter."

Making it to the Olympic Games

Despite the challenges that Algerian sportswomen have faced in advancing their careers, they have successfully earned their place in the Olympic Games and won a significant number of medals throughout history.

Algeria’s first participation in the Olympics was in 1988, when the delegation included just two female athletes. Fast forward to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where Algeria sent a team of 46 athletes, including 20 women.

Notably, the country's first gold medal was won by runner Hassiba Boulmerka in 1992. More recently, gymnast Kaylia Nemour and boxer Imane Khelif made history as the first Arab and African athletes to win gold titles in their respective categories.

A few weeks after the Olympic Games, Algeria’s anthem resonated once again in Paris during the Paralympic Games, thanks to its para-athletes, who collectively won eleven medals, four of which were earned by women.

While these significant wins are commendable, Dr Khadidja Boussaid, a sociologist and researcher at the Center for Research in Applied Economics for Development at the University of Algiers II, acknowledges that more work needs to be done, particularly in the area of representation at the Games.

"Women are significantly underrepresented in sports. When we combine the statistics from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Algerian Olympic Federation, and other international institutions, we find that only 14% of women participate in sports in Algeria," Khadija tells The New Arab.

Algerian female sportswomen as flag-bearers

While studying the history of Algerian women in sports, it's clear that these athletes are not only powerful but have also become important flag-bearers for their country.

Take, for example, Hassiba, who is often remembered for having defied terrorism.

"During the period of terrorism, running the 1500 metres required immense courage. So yes, Algerian athletes embody figures of courage, which also exist in other spheres in Algeria, notably among the mujahidates (female fighters during the liberation war) and women who fight on cultural and economic fronts," says sociologist Khadidja Boussaid.

"There was an attempt to make women disappear; they wanted to veil them, send them back home, and threatened them with death and rape if they did not accept this role. What Hassiba represented was resistance to the established order. Ultimately, she became an emblematic figure of this visible embodiment of the female body on international television," she continues.

"All women in the world of sports are figures of inspiration. They inspire resistance, a desire to fight, and they also inspire careers. Society often wants to portray women as weak and passive, but athletes are precisely the opposite," concludes Khadidja.

Hassiba is not the only Algerian female flag bearer; many sportswomen today continue her legacy and support various causes.

A recent example is Algerian boxer Imane, who faced a hate campaign targeting her as a transgender woman during the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"Their fight is more visible. Since athletes are covered by international media, they can become flag bearers for women who are struggling in less visible spheres. We’ve seen recent events involving boxer Imane, who raised awareness of international gender issues, such as the level of testosterone in women. We know that in Africa, there are already women fighting against these stereotypes," explains Khadidja.

"In my opinion, Imane embodies fundamental and intersectional issues. Her gender was questioned, along with her class, race, and origin. By becoming the target of this controversy as a racialised woman from Africa, Imane unveiled new forms of colonialism and became a symbol of resistance," she adds.

And indeed Imane has become a symbol of resistance.

After the boxing scandal, Imane has become an advocate against bullying and inspired many girls around the world to take up the sport of boxing.

Tenere Majhoul is a journalist who reports on political and social issues in North Africa. Her work has been published by Le Monde and Al Jazeera English

Follow her on X: @tenere_majhoul