Haider passes away

Fiji’s featherweight boxer, Ubayd Haider, formerly known as Nathan Singh, has passed away.

In a post on Facebook, Haider’s older brother and Fiji’s cruiserweight boxer Sebastian Singh posted a photo of them and wrote “R.I.P.. See you on the other side love you my bro. You’ll always be remembered.”

Haider was in an induced coma following emergency brain surgery after the controversial fight in Nadi where no required drug tests were conducted by the promoter.

This tragic incident brings to question how boxing is being run in the country.

The results from the Commission of Inquiry by the Fiji Boxing Commission on the whole incident that had Haider being put in an induced coma before his passing is yet to be revealed.

Haider was admitted at the Lautoka Hospital after suffering at 9th round knockout to Australian-based Chinese boxer Runqi Zhou in the recent South Pacific Boxing Promotion.

Fiji Boxing Commission Chair Adi Narayan said that a Commission of Inquiry was going to start on Wednesday, 30th of October with the members including a representative from the Boxing Commission and two independent representatives.

Narayan had also confirmed that the International Boxing Organization had sanctioned the title fights in that promotion, and it required that all the boxers were to be tested for drugs after each fight.

Narayan says the promoter was responsible and the results were to be shared with the Fiji Boxing Commission.

No drug tests were done for any boxer.

This comes amid concerns that Epinephrine and needles were allegedly found at the warm-up area at King Charles Park in Nadi.

Questions were raised by fijivillage News after Haider was rushed to hospital in a private vehicle after his fight with Zhou.

Haider’s camp wants to know why drug tests were not conducted, and are seriously concerned about the drugs and needles found in the warm-up area.

Promoter Fredy Chand confirms that no boxer underwent a drug test after their fight.

There are suggestions that Haider looked dizzy, was not fighting back and was unstable on his feet in about round 5 of the bout.

Questions are being raised on whether the fight should have been stopped at that time.

There are also questions being raised about the requirement to have drug tests, the availability of an ambulance, and insurance for boxers.