NEW ZEALAND – Joseph Parker was well supported by leaders of Samoa at the Vector Arena in Auckland on Saturday night when he created history by becoming the first New Zealand-born heavyweight champion, taking the World Boxing Organisation championship – one of four official world heavyweight titles – in a split points decision, 115-113, 115-113 and 114-114.

Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi led a strong contingent from Samoa which included cabinet ministers, members of the business community and many Samoans based in New Zealand.

The Samoan government earlier pumped US$100,000 (NZ$137,000) into Parker’s Auckland world title fight.

Following the win Parker said the result was for both New Zealand and Samoa – and thanked the fans who had supported him while on his journey to become a world champion.

He especially paid tribute to the support he received from Samoa.

He thanked Prime Minister Tuilaepai, the government and all the people of Samoa for their backing.

“What a great feeling to represent Samoa and New Zealand. I told you I was going to become the champion of the world, well here I am.”

Parker also paid homage to the nation that raised him, New Zealand – thanking all of those who have helped him over the past three years.

“What a great win for our country and it’s great to be a part of history,” Parker said. “We made it as a team, we made it as a country. This is for us.

“I did this for New Zealand and Samoa – all I can say is thank you.”

Samoan Parker’s victory over Andy Ruiz in Auckland has however polarised the boxing community, with some esteemed voices claiming the 27-year-old Mexican was “robbed”.

Professional Boxing Association president Lance Revill said in his mind there was only one winner – and it wasn’t the 24-year-old from South Auckland.

“We haven’t got a heavyweight champion of the world. Andy Ruiz got ripped off last night big-time, and I feel sick in the guts to be a New Zealander after last night.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Joseph Parker – he’s been to my gym, he’s sparred with my amateur heavyweights but the guy cleaned him out. Something stinks in the whole set-up.”

The fight’s promoter, Duco, had lobbied both the government and Auckland City Council to raise the funds to stage the fight in Auckland, and Revill believed the home-town advantage was a decisive factor in Parker’s victory.

Dean Lonergan, whose company, Duco, promoted the fight, said Revill’s judgment lacked understanding.

“Lance Revill hasn’t got a clue, and every time Lance says something the opposite is true. The guy’s well past it and, quite frankly, he’s an idiot.”

Sky boxing commentator Mike Angove said boxing was, by its nature, a divisive and subjective sport – and there was always going to be controversy following such a close bout.

“You had rounds that were clearly Ruiz’s, and rounds that were clearly Parker’s, and then you had swing rounds – and that’s the subjective element of boxing.

“In close fights you’re going to have controversy, Funds needed to upgrade safe buses

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to fund an upgrade of a women-only bus service in Papua New Guinea’s capital city of Port Moresby.

The “safe women” bus service was started in 2014, with the donation of two old buses from the Brisbane City Council and funding from Australia and UN Women – the United Nations gender equality agency.

The buses were a response to earlier figures that revealed that 90 per cent of women on public transport in Port Moresby reported being harassed, robbed or assaulted.

Bessie Maruia, who manages the Safe Public Transport Program for UN Women, said the buses have now become run-down and have started to have mechanical problems.

She said one of the buse had to be taken out of service in order to be repaired.

“Most of the women depend on the buses for their movement in the city and the deteriorating service has affected them,” she said.

The agency has managed to get one new bus, but it still needs another one for them to be able to keep running the service and meet increasing demand.

So they have turned to the internet and started a crowdfunding campaign to raise the A$68,000 needed to buy a replacement bus in PNG.

“Online contributions will go a long way in making it safe for a young girl to go to school,” Maruia said.

“Also making it safe for mothers to go to market and even for working class women to access their workplace.”

The Safe Public Transport Programme is due to end next year, so the managers of the bus service are trying to work out how to keep it going and make the service sustainable.

That could include introducing bus fares, which most women said they would happily pay.

Lolo Niso, a TAFE teacher and a regular passenger, said bus fares would be a “slight problem” for some.

“But for the other working mothers, I’m sure we will all be very happy to at least to keep the bus going,” she said.

So far the crowdfunding campaign has raised A$21,000.

Maruia said it needed to succeed because there was no other way for them to buy a new bus.

“There’s no plan B at the moment,” she said. “In terms of buying a new bus we’re very dependent on the crowdfunding to help us get another bus on the road so it will also meet the demand right now.”

Many women in Port Moresby have stories of being harassed, assaulted or robbed on the cities buses, known as public motor vehicles, or PMVs.

Vanessa Lita is a cleaner who travels by bus into the city every day.

“We always find it hard on the PMV bus because drunkards and raskols, they used to attack us.”

She said she was too scared to use the public buses since being attacked by criminals.

“Raskols attacked me and they got my bag and they put a knife on me. It’s not good, it’s sometimes like murder,” she said. “They stab us and we have bruises on our hands and big deep cuts.

“It’s not safe for our women in Papua New Guinea.”

Since the attack Lita said she only travels on the women’s only bus service.

- ABC