The Fight Game in Fiji

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, May 2.

WITH a flourish of trumpets the Box ing and Wrestling Associaticm of Fiji was revived and reconstituted in 1947 but, after announcing an ambi tious programme, it promptly relapsed in to its former coma.

Sharp prods from the press having failed to stimulate it to any signs of ac tivity, there are indications that boxing supporters (mainly Fijian, European and part-European) may take matters into their own hands.

Boxing promotion in Fiji, oddly enough, is almost entirely in the hands of the Indians, who, on the whole, do the job well, but inevitably with an eye to the profits rather than to the interests of the Fijian and part-European boxers who do the actual fighting. Boxing is thus a business, and amateur boxing, despite the obvious demand for it, is virtually non existent.

Matters appear to have come to a head over a recent contest at Ba in which Sireli Saro. a brilliant and popular Fijian middleweight, was matched, at 11 st., with a formidable opponent named Miliano (12 st. 5 lb.). The result was inevitable.

Monsieur Tresch, director-general of the French Pacific flying service TRAP AS, on whose directorate he represents the interests of the Air France company, was expected in Noumea late in April. His background achievements are managing Air France in Syria and Far East, and in 1947 he attended the international Civil Air Conference held in Melbourne as one of the French delegates.