Excluding boxing from LA Games 'would be a crime', Australian boxers say

PARIS : The possibility of boxing being excluded from the programme at the Los Angeles Olympics and beyond is "terrifying" and would hit athletes in the developing world the hardest, Australian boxer Harry Garside said.

The boxing tournament at the Paris Games is being organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which stripped the International Boxing Association of recognition last June, saying it had failed to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues.

The IOC said it would not organise the tournament in 2028, leading to fears the sport might be excluded from future Games.

Boxing is not on the initial programme for Los Angeles.

Garside, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago, told reporters boxers loved fighting for their country.

"To take that away from some young people around the world, it would be a crime, truly," he added.

"Boxing is one of the oldest sports. To see it maybe not be in the Olympic Games, it is honestly terrifying.

"Boxing is also 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 athletes that come from these really rough areas, they're the ones that come and win gold medals."

Australia's Caitlin Parker, a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, said taking boxing out of the Games would be unfair on women, who have only been permitted to box at the Olympics since 2012.

"I remember the moment I found out that women's boxing was being introduced into the Olympics in 2012 in London. I made it my goal then, that I wanted to go to the Rio Olympics in 2016," Parker added.

"It has been just such a massive part of my life, the Olympics, I've always been so obsessed about it. It makes me so sad to think that