Controversial Australian boxer Anthony Mundine has hit the sports betting headlines again by revealing that he wants to run for prime minister.
The 38-year-old, who played rugby league before switching to boxing in 2000, insists he still has at least four years left at the top of his sport before he turns his attention to politics.
Mundine, who is a former interim WBA Light Middleweight, two-time WBA Super Middleweight and IBO Middleweight champion, said: “I want to work with youth, inspire youth. I want to work with my people. And who knows? I might even run for prime minister; see what happens.
“If I was prime minister, the way I would run it, any issue they want to talk about I would just do a poll. I’d just do a poll to the people and let the people decide. I mean that’s the rule: a leader [should] do what the people want.”
Mundine, who was named the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Person of the Year in 2000 after converting to Islam the previous year, may have to temper some of his views if he wants to have a career in politics though, as his tongue has got him in hot water in the past.
He said that the US brought the September 11 terrorist acts on themselves and that Olympic champion, Cathy Freeman, could not be an authentic indigenous leader because “a man can only lead”.
Just over 12 months ago, he doubted fellow Australian boxer, Danny Geale’s indigenous heritage, saying: “He’s got a white woman, he’s got white kids. I keep it real, all day every day” and more recently stated homosexuality and Aboriginality did not mix.
Meanwhile, the latest betting news indicates that Mundine is searching for a new opponent to fight on 29th January after Carson Jones pulled out of the proposed bout through illness.
