Ministry announces new boxing commission board members

Suva, May 10 – The Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon.Laisenia Tuitubou, this afternoon announced the newly appointed Board members of the Boxing Commission of Fiji at Nasoqo House in Suva.

“The re-establishment of the Boxing Commission of Fiji sets the stage for a well-run organisation which promotes professional boxing and the regulatory framework within which the health and well-being of boxers are protected,” said Minister Tuitubou.

“This is the responsible way forward and I have asked the Board to address them as a matter of urgency,” said Hon. Tuitubou. “Boxers’ welfare should always be paramount.”

He added that Government and the BCF will partner to ensure that holistic policies are designed and enforced to safeguard everyone involved in the sport.

Hon. Tuitubou also highlighted that “the sports of amateur and professional boxing co-exist independently but can generally be seen as two sides of the same coin.”

“We need only look at boxing history which continues to show that nothing prepares a future champion in the professional ranks like a solid foundation and years of experience in the amateur ranks,” said the Youth and Sports Minister.

“The challenge is in establishing the measures and criteria that must be met before amateurs turn professional,” he added. “This applies to both male and female boxers and I look forward to witnessing the development of women’s boxing in Fiji.”

The new BCF board members will be led by Mr Bulutani Mataitawakilai and the members are Usman Ali, Abhisakh Kumar, Dr Warren Thaggard, and Aminiasi Vulaono.

The Board will further be advised by Faiyaz Khan, JP who has expertise in professional boxing from New Zealand as well as Fiji.