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Athletic overseer planned

The province is taking steps to establish a Provincial Athletic Commissioner.

The province of B.C. is taking steps to establish a Provincial Athletic Commissioner, who would regulate and supervise professional contests such as boxing, kick-boxing and mixed martial arts.

Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong introduced Bill 50 - Athletic Commissioner Act - in the legislature this week. The proposed act would establish a consistent framework to oversee the conduct of these professional events throughout the province.

This legislation would not apply to amateur contests.

If local governments do not want such contests to take place in their communities, they would be able to prohibit these events by passing a bylaw.

“The benefit of having a provincial athletic commissioner would be that every professional contest would be subject to the same rules and regulations, whether it was being held in Vancouver, Nanaimo or Vernon,” said Chong.