Boxing: First time lucky for S’wak’s Clarkson at SUKMA

SIMANGGANG: It is an unforgettable victory for 19-year-old Clarkson Evans Tom Frankie in his first SUKMA appearance.

Clarkson emerged victorious against Muhamad Mukhriz Khan Muzafar Khan of Penang, scoring 5-0 in the 45-48kg men’s category at Stadium Tertutup Sri Aman last night (Aug 18).

In an interview, the young boxer said he had previously met with his opponent before in a tournament two months ago.

“Before this, I lost to him twice in other boxing tournaments but this time I finally defeated him.

“This is my first SUKMA appearance and when I know that he was my opponent, I already knew what his strategy would be.

The fight between Clarkson and Mukhriz in the 45-48kg men’s category. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni

“Before the match, I felt nervous but with the advice and guidance from my coach, I finally pulled through and won,” he said.

Clarkson, originally from Kota Samarahan, said he has studied Mukhriz’s boxing style and trained hard with the coach and stuck to the planned strategy.

Coach Helman Morni said the boxers did well these two days.

He remained optimistic about Sarawak’s chances.