Aussie stars slam potential 'crime' against boxing as Olympics exclusion looms
PARIS: Australian boxing stars Harry Garside and Caitlin Parker have declared it would be a "crime" for the sport to be booted from the Olympic Games after Paris 2024.
Boxing was part of the ancient Olympic Games and has featured on every modern Olympic program since 1904, but is now in danger of being banished amid a long-running tussle between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the sport's organisers.
"It's more about the athletes, right? It's more about the young, up-and-coming people who have been dreaming of this," Garside told media in Paris on Wednesday.
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"All of our dreams started somewhere, and whether you're a boxer or from another sport, we all love the Olympic movement. That's why we're here, we love wearing the green and gold, we love fighting for our country, and I think to take that away from some young people around the world would be a crime, truly."
Harry Garside pictured ahead of the Paris Games. Matt King/Getty Images for AOC
Financial and corruption scandals led to the IOC banning the International Boxing Association (IBA) from Olympic involvement at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games.
A breakaway body called World Boxing was launched in a bid to secure the sport's Olympic future.
But as it stands, boxing's inclusion at both the LA 2028 Games and Brisbane 2032 remains a shaky prospect.
"I think boxing is one of the oldest sports, it was in the ancient Olympiad, and to see it maybe not be in the Olympic Games is honestly terrifying," Garside said.
"Boxing is historically a poor man's sport. If you look around the world it's the third-world countries that are the best, it's the counties that come from these really rough areas in the world, and they're the ones that come and win gold medals, and I think to take that away from people like that is a crime, and I would hate to see it.
"Boxing deserves to be in the Olympics.
"It has saved many people's lives and I have seen it save many people's lives.
"So I hope it's there."
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Caitlin Parker in action at Tokyo 2020. Ueslei Marcelino
Women's boxing was introduced to the Olympics at the London 2012 Games.
That moment inspired Parker, who's the Australian boxing team's captain for the Paris Games.
"It has been such a massive part of my life, the Olympics. I've always been so obsessed about it," Parker told media in Paris on Wednesday.
"It makes me so sad to think that some kids that look up to us ... that that's going to be shattered for them. That'd make me absolutely gutted.
"It would be an absolute crime if it was out of the next Olympics."
Garside and Parker are part of a 12-strong Australian boxing team set to compete in Paris.
