Three International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Asia Pacific championships will take place at the South Pacific Boxing Promotions next month. Adi Narayan, chairman of the Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF), confirmed that the event has been sanctioned by IBO Australia during its launch yesterday.
Scheduled for October 26 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, the event will also present a local title fight and various local matches, including a women’s round. Notably, it will mark the first instance of two siblings competing for international titles: Sebastian Singh will face “King” Tonga Tongotongo for the IBO Asia Pacific cruiserweight title, while his younger brother Ubayd Haider will battle China’s Runqi Zhou for the IBO Asia Pacific featherweight title. Additionally, Winston Hill will go head-to-head with Lachlan O’Shea for the super welterweight title.
“This is a unique event; I can’t recall a similar occurrence in the last three years,” Narayan stated. “It’s a chance for our boxers to showcase their talents on an international stage.”
In other matches, Hill’s brother, Jonathan Pedro Hill, will contend against Siliveni Nawai for the Fijian super middleweight title, and there will be a match between Jese Ravudi and Vanuatu’s Roy Ser. Narayan expressed gratitude to promoter Freddy Chand and director Mohammed Shameem for their efforts in organizing the event.
Chand emphasized that these matches will create new opportunities for local boxers, including women. The outcome of the women’s bout between Amo Wai and Maureen Chand will determine who gets a chance to fight in England. “If Winston Hill wins this fight, he will be in line for a world title shot granted by IBO, moving closer to one of the three championship belts,” Chand noted.
He assured fans and families that stringent security measures would be enforced to prevent incidents similar to the one that occurred at Lawaqa Park last month. Chand is also urging boxing clubs and boxers to ensure their trainers are registered with BCF. “Only four individuals will be permitted in the ring: one boxer, two trainers, and a cart man, if licensed with BCF. If a boxer does not have registered trainers, they will compete with someone who is registered, so it is important to get your team registered.”
“Security won’t be an issue; there will be 30 private security personnel and 25 police officers present at the venue,” Chand added. He also confirmed that an international IBO referee will support local referees and officials during the event.