Hector Hatch

Name: Hector Hatch
Hometown: Suva, Fiji
Birthplace: Suva, Fiji
Died: 2016-04-14 (Age:79)
Amateur Boxer: Record

Hector Hatch boxed for Fiji at the 1956 Olympics. He was an executive member of the Fiji Amateur Boxing Association in 1958, and served as secretary-general for President for the next 34 years, retiring in 1992. He was also a boxing official, was technical official in charge of boxing at the inaugural 1963 South Pacific Games, and later served the same role at the 1971 and 1979 Games. From 1966-83 Hatch was a trainer for the Fijian national team that competed at the 1966 and 1969 South Pacific Games and the 1974 Commonwealth Games. He was also the competition manager for boxing at the 2003 South Pacific Games.

Hatch helped Fiji become affiliated with the Oceania Amateur Boxing Association. Locally he helped organize the Chairmanâs Boxing Club, where he worked as a trainer, and helped found the Suva Youth Centre Boxing Club in 1964, where he was a trainer and manager from 1964-66. Hatch later set up the Western District Boxing Association in 1966 and was a secretary and trainer there from 1966-69.

Hatch served as Minister for Public Enterprises and Public Sector Reform in the interim Cabinet formed by Laisenia Qarase in the wake of the Fiji coup of 2000. He held office till an elected government took power in September 2001.

While visiting New Zealand on 4 January 2007, the Interim Military Government (which had seized power in a coup d'état on 5 December 2006) named Hatch to head the Public Service Commission, replacing Stuart Huggett, who was dismissed for non-cooperation with the military regime. Hatch was charged with the responsibility of downsizing the civil service, which the Military claimed was bloated. His tenure in this position was brief, however: he resigned in the second week of January upon his return to Fiji, citing poor health, and was replaced on 15 January by Rishi Ram.