Boxing Victoria cancels coaches' registrations at gym with neo-Nazi links

Coaches at a boxing gym in Melbourne’s north-west will have their registrations suspended by the Boxing Victoria after the gym was found to have links to some of Victoria’s most dangerous neo-Nazi activists.

An investigation by The Age into Legacy Boxing Gym, in Sunshine West, uncovered images posted in encrypted far-right chat groups which showed a secret 3rd December event held at the gym, which was adorned with swastika and SS flags and other far-right symbolism.

A photograph from the event shows prominent neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell posing with a child and dozens of other far-right supporters.

Boxing Victoria Secretary David Pike told The Age that the allegations “disturbing” and said a probe into the gym’s conduct would take place next month.

Pike told The Age “Boxing Victoria has moved to suspend the registration (of) all coaches involved with the Legacy Boxing Gym pending an investigation of the allegations, in January 2023.

“As an organisation, Boxing Victoria warmly welcomes and has representatives of all faiths and cultures involved in our activities and finds any attempt to bring extremist views into boxing to be abhorrent.”

Boxing Victoria said unregistered coaches might continue to work at Legacy Boxing Gym, but could not coach at, or enter boxers, in Boxing Victoria events.

Unregistered coaches also cannot undertake qualification courses approved by Boxing Australia or apply to be Boxing Victoria state coaches at national events. Coaches in the state need to be registered with Boxing Victoria to enter and coach boxers with interstate boxing organisations that are affiliated with Boxing Australia, or with organisations affiliated with the International Boxing Association.

According to business records, the directors of Legacy Boxing Gym include Timothy Holger Lutze, aged 32.

Investigations by The Age revealed several pictures in which Lutze and young members of the gym are making Nazi salutes.

On Friday morning, the gym, which was founded in 2019, removed some of the images from Facebook.

Extremism experts also raised concerns about the presence of a child at the 3rd December  event at the gym, saying it indicated far-right groups were indoctrinating children with hateful ideology during vulnerable periods in their intellectual development.

The Boxing Victoria website says that new Victorian Government Child Safe Standards now apply for its members. The standards require organisations establish a culturally safe environment and that “measures are adopted ... to ensure racism within the organisation is identified, confronted and not tolerated”.

Images: A group assembled with right-wing and neo-Nazi symbols at Legacy Boxing Gym in Sunshine West.