The Commission of Inquiry (COI) has requested the Minister for Youth and Sports Jese Saukuru to extend investigation deadline for the death of featherweight boxer Ubayd Haider.

COI chairman Edwin Wainiqolo yesterday said they would need another fortnight to complete investigations as South Pacific Boxing Promotions (SPBP) promoter Fred Chand and director Mohammed Shameem were yet to be interviewed.

Shameem was scheduled to be interviewed at 4pm yesterday however it was called off as the investigation team was attending a brief meeting in Suva.

Wainiqolo said Shameem would be interviewed on Monday via Zoom.

“The requested time was inconvenient to the members of the panel because I live in the West while the rest of the panels reside in Suva,” Wainiqolo said.

“Simultaneously we’ll be issuing a formal correspondence to Fredy’s (Chand) lawyer asking them a deadline of seven days until Friday next week; if they don’t respond then we will go ahead without him.

“We have decided to seek consent from the the minister (Saukuru) for an additional 14 days to wrap our investigation then submit our report.”

Speaking from Vancouver, Canada, Shameem said he was ready to be interviewed yesterday but the COI rescheduled it.

He added that Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF) chairman Adi Narayan has been trying to blame them for everything.

“I don’t need a legal counsel, I know what I have to say – I have been involved in boxing the last 60 years.

“Boxing is in my blood, I know the rules.

“Adi has always been pointing fingers at us,” Shameem said.

Haider collapsed after his ninth round on TKO (technical knockout) Sydney-based boxer Runqi Zhou for the IBO Asia Pacific super featherweight title fight at Nadi’s Prince Charles Park on Saturday, October 26.

He was rushed to Zen’s Medical then transferred to Lautoka’s Aspen Hospital where he underwent head surgery as he was in a coma.

He failed to recover and died on November 10.

Feedback: sereana.salalo@fijisun.com.fj