An insurance company has for the first time stepped in to support professional boxing in the country.
The South Pacific Boxing Promotions secured a partnership with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI) in Suva on Friday as promoter Freddy Chand and his team gear up for the May 18 showdown at Prince Charles Park in Nadi.
LICI general manager Pradeep Shenoy said sports was a nation-building tool and they would like to be part of that through the sport of boxing.
“LICI is happy to be part of this boxing promotion as we hope to make it a bigger sport in Fiji,” Shenoy said.
“Fiji is a sport-crazy nation, nothing can beat rugby in popularity, so we are very happy to join hands with the boxing fraternity. It is a tough sport, individual game and requires a lot of stamina.”
Chand said this was a new and milestone move.
“Their support will help Fiji boxing. When I say Fiji boxing, I mean from the grassroots, kids and women involved in the sport. SPBP is here to stay, and we will continue to develop our boxers and the sport as a whole,” he said.
Boxing Commission of Fiji chairman Adi Narayan said this kind of partnership was significant and unique in their move to build and boost the presence of the sport in the country.
Meanwhile, the program will see six international bouts with two international belts and two local titles to be contested.
The program will be headlined by Fiji’s super welterweight champion Winston Hill, who will step into the ring against Australia’s Jyl Wright.
