Knocked-Out

By A Witch's

Spell

From JACK NAIDU in Fiji Witch doctors in Fiji, who over the years have been practising secretly to cure the sick, have extended their field. They are now casting their spells on the sportsfield.

This shock news was revealed by one of Fiji’s most colourful boxers, Leweni Waqa. Once regarded as Fiji’s boxing idol during an eventful 13year professional career which took him to several parts of the world, Waqa has announced his retirement and said that witchcraft is operating in Fiji boxing.

“Some of the boxers today are secretly seeking supernatural powers —many indulge in witchcraft and 1 have experienced it myself,” said Leweni Waqa.

He said that while fighting against a boxer now in Fiji’s top ranks, he felt something was overpowering him.

“My eyes were obstructed by a foggy mass and I was unable to see my opponent. I was left entirely to my opponent’s mercy,” he added.

Waqa’s boxing career started when he was only 18 years old as a middle weight. He trained under a former Fiji welterweight champion, Penaia Toga of Fiji’s gold town, Vatukoula.

His long career took him to New Zealand, Britain, United States and Tahiti, where he made a big name for himself. Perhaps the highlight of his career was his fight against former world boxing heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis, who was at that time Muhammad Ali’s top sparring partner.

The fight was scheduled as a 10round contest and main supporting bout to the Henry Cooper-Muham mad Ali world heavyweight champion ship in 1966.

Ellis won on a technical knockout in the first round.

During this stage, Waqa was cam paigning in England under promoter Jack Burns, who lifted the once unknown boxer to Ring Magazine’s 25th best light-heavyweight in the world. He was the first Fiji boxer to be rated among the world’s best and says: “I achieved what I was through sheer hard training. Any boxer can do the same as long as he is dedicated to the sport. He can not afford to drink and smoke at the same time.”

Waqa said that Fiji boxing standards were surprisingly, declining.

This was because the boxers were not taking a positive outlook.

With the recent flood of Tongan boxers invading Fiji, Waqa said that at the moment, no Fiji boxer could beat Tonga and South Seas heavy weight champion, Mani Vaka. Waqa announced his retirement after his fight with Mani Vaka, who knocked him out in the third round.

Leweni Waqa's allegations of witch craft in Fiji boxing were the second made within a year. Several months ago Fiji’s sporting newspaper, Fiji Sport, revealed that witchcraft is also secretly solicited by soccer players and team supporters in bizarre at tempts to influence the outcome of major matches.

Said a representative goalkeeper, a battle-scarred veteran of many tournaments: “It worked wonders—at least, it did with me." He said that after a big inter-district match in which his team lost by four goals while he stood helpless in the goal, he was advised to see a witch doctor at Ba.

“I did this one evening," he said.

“The woman appeared to go into a trance after a while and then spoke to me in a subdued voice. She told me that the adversaries of our team had put a curse on me so that I was virtually immobilised in the goal.”

She asked him to visit her again the next day. Meanwhile, she gave him certain instructions about per forming some mystic ritual.

“Believe it or not, almost im mediately I felt a lightened effect.

After obeying her instructions and having a second audience with her, I was back to my original physical form,” said the rejuvenated goalie.

He said that during several represen tative matches after this treatment, few balls went past him. His team won sweeping victories that season.

Leweni Waqa