Aussie star hits out at Olympics ‘crime against humanity’

An Aussie Olympian has smashed calls to scrap a sport from the next Olympics in the US.

An Aussie Olympian has smashed calls to scrap a sport from the next Olympics in the US.

Harry Garside has witnessed the transformative power of boxing firsthand and believes that removing it from the Los Angeles 2028 schedule would be nothing short of a “crime against humanity”.

The future of boxing in the Olympics hangs in the balance, with genuine fears that the Paris Games might mark the sport’s final Olympic appearance.

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The International Olympic Committee has set a 2025 deadline for the sport to establish a new governing body after ousting the International Boxing Association over integrity concerns.

Garside, who captured hearts with his bronze medal run in Tokyo three years ago has seen the sport’s popularity surge back home since then.

“Boxing is for everyone and it might not be at the next Olympics,” he said upon arriving in Paris.

“It’s one of the oldest sports in the Olympics, was in the ancient Olympics as well. For it to not be in the Olympics would be a crime against humanity.”

Harry Garside has witnessed the transformative power of boxing firsthand and believes that removing it from the Los Angeles 2028 schedule would be nothing short of a ‘crime against humanity’.

‘Boxing is for everyone.’

Taking to social media, Garside declared: “It wouldn’t be the Olympics without boxing!!”

Australia boasts a record 12 boxers in Paris, each aiming to become the country’s first Olympic champions in the sport. The team is a diverse tapestry, including the first Indigenous and Muslim woman to box for Australia at the Games, alongside athletes with Pacific Island, European, African, and South American heritage.

“Politics is politics; there’s a lot more paperwork there but it’s about the athletes who have been dreaming of this,” Garside said. “To take that away from them would be a crime, truly. It’s historically a poor man’s sport ... I’ve seen boxing save many people’s lives. And we’re two Olympics away from Brisbane; if we can win a few medals here it’ll make it so much bigger.”

Caitlin Parker, poised to become the first Australian woman to box at two Olympics, expressed her dismay at the potential removal of boxing from the Games. “I’ve always been so obsessed about it and it makes me so sad that some kids starting that have the same dream that it could be shattered for them,” she said.

“Especially women, who are just starting to create history in this sport. We’re seeing the growth in Australia, around the world. It would be an absolute crime.”

The boxing draw will be revealed on Thursday in Paris, with the action set to begin on Saturday at Roland Garros.

“Combat sport is one of the most primitive and pure places we can go,” said Garside, who paused his professional career for another Olympic shot. “Once the draw gets done that’s when the animal instinct comes out. The intensity comes over the body and I feel that now ... it’ll be on.”