‘No need for racism in sport’: Tim Tszyu’s classy message of support for Latrell Mitchell

Australian boxing star Tim Tszyu has thrown his support behind Latrell Mitchell after the Rabbitohs star was allegedly racially abused.

Australian boxer Tim Tszyu has thrown his support behind Latrell Mitchell after the Rabbitohs star was allegedly racially abused during Thursday night’s NRL game against Penrith.

A fan was removed from Penrith’s BlueBet Stadium after the incident, which happened as the sides came from the field at halftime. The Daily Telegraph reported the fan was removed from the stadium during the halftime break.

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Mitchell was allegedly called a “black dog” by a fan, with the player and several of his teammates hearing the slur as they walked into the tunnel.

The alleged offender is reported to be a teenager who was wearing an NRL jersey - and they were neither a Rabbitohs or Panthers fan.

Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou called for the culprits to be handed a life ban, while others including Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary and Today host Brooke Boney have slammed the abuse.

Tszyu and Mitchell are both managed by No Limit Boxing, and the boxing star made a point of calling out the abuse at Friday’s official press conference ahead of his world title fight with Tony Harrison on Sunday.

“I just want to say before I start, shout out to Latrell,” Tszyu told reporters.

Tim Tszu paid tribute to Latrell Mitchell. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

“Faced a bit of abuse last night. There’s no need for racism in sport, in any sport. Just keep it professional. Yeah, good on him.

“I think it’s not good for the sport, for any sport. There’s no need to bring anything like politics, religion or stuff like that. We’re just trying to keep it professional and the way Latrell handled it was perfect.”

New vision has emerged of the moment the Rabbitohs players heard and reacted to the racist slur aimed at Mitchell.

Fox Sports’ Lara Pitt revealed it may have been more than one fan as security and police investigated the issue.

“I saw an incident at halftime in the tunnels as Souths players made their way to the sheds … the alleged fans involved in this have left the ground,” Pitt said on Fox League.

After the match, Souths coach Demetriou said Mitchell shows his character every week and “shows the quality person he is”.

Enough is enough. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

But the coach was furious about the horrific incident.

“It’s not a claim, it actually happened,” Demetriou fumed in the press conference.

“It’s not the first time we’ve come here and our players have been racially abused. Where does it end? It’s just not on.

“I shouldn’t have to come here as a coach and lead a group of players in here to be racially abused. It’s not what our game’s about and we have to stamp it out completely. NRL, clubs, they have to get rid of it. Life bans. Anyone who wants to racially abuse, get them out of the game. We don’t want their support. It’s got to end.”

Asked how Latrell reacted, he said: “He’s sick of it. Why wouldn’t he be? He should be able to come here as a star of our game and not get racially abused. Who cares what colour he is? It’s just not on. I don’t understand how that happens in our day and age. I can’t get my head around how a young kid thinks that’s the language to be used. I don’t care what jersey he’s wearing, get them out of the game.

Latrell Mitchell of the Rabbitohs interacts with fans as he walks down the tunnel at the end of the round two NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and South Sydney. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

“This is not something Latrell has only had to deal with on the footy field, this is something he’s had to deal with his whole life. All Indigenous people do. I just can’t get my head around it, I don’t understand in Australia how anyone’s raised like that.

“Where as a game to do we say ‘no, no, it’s not happening.’ There has to be hard and fast rules that if anyone goes even close to being racial, they are completely ruled out of our game. And if it’s a kid, rule his parent out as well.

“If it was my child, I’d be absolutely ashamed, embarrassed that my child had even thought to speak like that.”

The unsavoury moment overshadowed a classic finish between the teams as the Panthers claimed a 16-10 win.