Boxing Indigenous Artwork

Boxing Australia Indigenous Artwork

In April 2022, Boxing Australia unveiled its national team competition uniform featuring an Indigenous design, created by two former Australian representative boxers, Paul Fleming, and Brad Hore.

As part of Boxing Australia’s journey towards reconciliation through sport, we are thrilled to launch our whole of sport Indigenous Boxing Artwork.

The artwork, created by Brad Hore OLY, represents connection from all levels and roles within the sport of boxing in Australia, including our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, board members and state members.

Brad said, "this painting symbolises everyone involved in boxing, from grassroots programs to elite levels and all the roles within. Without the participation of all, there is no boxing. It’s about uniting and progressing together.”

“It’s great to see Boxing Australia taking this step forward and fostering connections within the sport” he added.

Boxing Australia’s CEO Dinah Glykidis said “it was important that this artwork depict the representation of all levels of our sport, including connecting with its past. Brad has certainly encapsulated every aspect of the sport in this incredible piece. We hope that when our members and stakeholders view this artwork, they feel connected.”

In the coming months, this artwork will be feature across several area of the business including website, and merchandise.

There will be no changes to the national team uniform.

Story of the Artwork
'An artwork which represents all'.

There are three layers of this artwork which represents the 3 rounds in Olympic style (amateur) boxing.

Round 1 - this layer represents Boxing Australia as a whole, with various elements incorporated throughout it.

Administration This section portrays the administration of the sport. There are eight light green 'u' shapes symbolising each States and Territories affiliated with Boxing Australia, while the larger lime 'u' shapes represents the Boxing Australia Board of Directors. All are facing inwards towards a central meeting place.
	Male Athletes The larger segment represents the elite men of the sport. Two pathways are depicted branching into it, showcasing the progression of our junior and youth male boxers as they advance through the program. Given the longer establishment of the male program compared to the female counterpart, it reflects a robust and well-established system.
Female Athletes The larger image on the right represents the elite women boxers in the sport, while the smaller image represents the junior and youth women.  While not directly linked, the portayal of the women’s space signifes the growing presence of female participation in the sport. It’s important to note that female boxing in Australia commenced in the early 2000s.
	Coaching This particular element represents all coaches involved in the sport.
Officiating The inclusion of officials was important, as without referees, judges, ITOs, doctors and others, there would be no fights. They are located on the right side of the artwork, connected from the bottom heading upwards, symbolising their integral role in the sport.
	The boomerangs represents the cycle of the sport, representing those who come through it and linking to our past, present and future participants.
This image represents the stars, connecting our team and officials who travel overseas back home. Just as the stars are ever-present in the sky, they symoblise the enduring connections to home.

Other Elements:

• The Handprint symbolises identity.
• The Emu and Kangaroo footprints, which are the two animals on our coat of arms, and the only two animals that don’t walk backwards. This represents the forward progress of our sport.

Round 2 - the middle layer, with its diverse array of circles, represents the grassroots and community level of our sport.

It highlights the many facets involved at this level, including athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, clubs, gyms, and states across the entire country. This layer holds immense significance as it is where future athletes begin their journey, eventually becoming our elite athletes, high-level coaches, and officials. It lays the foundation for the future success of our sport.

Round 3 - The final round, represented by the solid background, this symoblises a boxing ring and sums up all aspects within the sport, integrating the layers above it. 

Other relevant links - National Team Indigenous Uniform