Three International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Asia Pacific titles will be up for grabs at the South Pacific Boxing Promotions event next month. The chairman of the Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF), Adi Narayan, announced at the event’s launch yesterday that the program has received approval from IBO Australia.
Scheduled for October 26 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, the event will also include a local title fight and several local matches, featuring a bout specifically for women. Notably, it will mark the first occasion that siblings will compete for international titles. Sebastian Singh is set to face “King” Tonga Tongotongo for the IBO Asia Pacific cruiserweight title, while his younger brother Ubayd Haider will go up against China’s Runqi Zhou for the IBO Asia Pacific featherweight title.
The third international matchup will see Winston Hill taking on Lachlan O’Shea for the super welterweight title. Narayan stated, “This is a unique occurrence, and I can’t recall if it has happened in the last three years. This is a chance for our boxers to showcase their talents on an international stage.”
In addition, Hill’s brother, Jonathan Pedro Hill, will compete against Siliveni Nawai for the Fijian super middleweight title, and another bout will feature Jese Ravudi against Vanuatu’s Roy Ser. Narayan expressed gratitude to promoter Freddy Chand and director Mohammed Shameem for their efforts in making this event possible.
Chand noted that these fights will create new opportunities for local boxers, including female athletes. The outcome of the women’s match between Amo Wai and Maureen Chand will determine who gets to fight in England. “If Winston Hill wins this match, he will be in line for a world title opportunity granted by the IBO, bringing him one step closer to achieving that goal,” he added.
Chand assured fans and families that security measures would be stringent during the fights, aiming to prevent any incidents similar to the one that took place at Lawaqa Park last month. He urged boxing clubs and boxers to ensure their trainers are registered with the BCF, stating, “Only four individuals will be allowed in the ring: one boxer, two trainers, and a cart man if he is licensed with the BCF. If a boxer doesn’t have registered trainers, they will have to enter the ring with someone who is registered.”
Chand confirmed the presence of 30 private security personnel and 25 police officers at the venue, underlining that there would be no issues regarding safety. He also mentioned that an international IBO referee would assist local referees and officials during the event.