An exhibition boxing event was canceled last Saturday at Subrail Park in Labasa due to a double booking, according to South Pacific Boxing promoter Freddy Chand. The venue was also reserved for a church service in the evening, leading to the cancellation of the exhibition bouts.
Chand stated that neither he nor the Boxing Commission Fiji should be held responsible for the situation. He pointed the finger at the Labasa Town Council for the oversight.
“Due to the limited time frame, no exhibition bouts took place,” Chand explained. This left many boxers and their supporters disappointed, with some spectators requesting a refund of half their ticket price since the anticipated fights were not held. However, despite the cancellation, Chand noted that “lots of hidden talent” was still evident.
In response to the incident, Labasa Town Council chair Paul Jaduram attributed the double booking to outdated procedures. He assured that the council’s system has been updated to prevent similar issues in the future.
“This has not just happened for this tournament but for a few others as well,” Jaduram commented. He has instructed the staff to ensure that such conflicts do not occur again and expressed his apologies to the promoters, organizers, and attendees for any inconvenience caused.