A three-member team has been established to investigate the recent boxing incident at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, Fiji, where featherweight boxer Umbayd Haider suffered a critical injury. Pita Driti, the former Land Force Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, leads the team alongside Philip Heneriko, the Ministry of Youth and Sports director, and Adi Narayan, the chairman of the Boxing Commission of Fiji.
During a press conference in Suva, Narayan announced that the team has a 30-day period to conduct the investigation, which includes interviewing various stakeholders involved in the match. The investigation follows Haider’s collapse in the ring after a technical knockout loss to Australia’s Runqi Zhou for the IBO (International Boxing Organisation) Asia Pacific title. Haider is currently in critical condition at Lautoka Hospital after undergoing head surgery.
The fight was sanctioned by the IBO and the Boxing Commission of Fiji, with oversight from IBO fight commissioner Justin Kennedy and referee Ignatius Missailidis. Narayan stated that the investigation will include interviews with the ring officials, promoters, and cornermen, along with scrutiny of the licensing of the cornermen present at the fight. Furthermore, the investigation will assess the protocol regarding post-fight drug testing for boxers, an area of concern that was reportedly neglected.
This proactive inquiry highlights the commitment of Fiji’s regulatory bodies to ensure the safety and integrity of boxing matches. By addressing the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event, there is hope for improvements in the safety measures of boxing, preventing such incidents in the future.
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