Sarawak boxers edge closer to becoming overall champions at Sukma XXI

SIMANGGANG (Aug 20): After witnessing 11 of 15 Sarawak boxers qualify for the semifinals of the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma XXI), Sarawak Amateur Boxing Association (Saba) president Datuk Rahman Lariwoo is hopeful that the state’s boxers will maintain their focus on achieving the goal of becoming the overall champions.

According him, while the results show that the state boxing team is nearing its target of becoming overall champions, it is crucial for them to remain focused.

“We will face each match with the determination to secure gold from the boxers who have advanced to the next stage. Despite this, I am satisfied with the achievement of having 11 out 15 boxers qualify for the semi-finals.

“I hope this momentum carries us through to the final matches, where we aim to repay the trust the state government has placed in us all this time,” he said in an interview today.

Last night, Frederick Xian Bartholomew Albern was the final Sarawakian boxer to book a semi-final spot after defeating Federal Territories’ Muhammad Haikal Hakim Mohamad Noor.

Frederick won by a 5-0, scoring all 10s from the judges in the second and third rounds.

Tonight, eight Sarawakian boxers will compete in the first night of the Sukma XXI boxing semifinals, featuring six men’s and two women’s categories.

In the Bantam Weight (51kg-54 kg) category, Khairil Hazami Sulam will face Negeri Sembilan’s Najmuddin Abdul Rahman.

In the Minimum Weight (45 kg-48 kg) division, Clarkson Evans Tom Frankie will clash with Sabah’s Aelfred Eter Tohiron.

Lam Wee Liang will face off against Syafi Syamil Ahmad Faizal from the Federal Territories in the Lightweight (57kg-60kg) category, while Anderton Teck Hieng Tie will battle it out with Melaka’s Aniq Zikri Masri in the Welterweight (63.5 kg-67kg) division.

Gideon Riquelme Jonathan, fighting in the Middleweight (71kg-75 kg) category, will face Kelantan’s Muhammad Hafizyudin Nordin while Bradley Jilan Kennedy will square off against Terengganu’s Nur Ikmal Ramadan Sakila in the Cruiserweight (80kg-86 kg) division.

The women’s division sees Sarawak’s Patricia Jaquilina Bruce competing in the Minimum Weight (45kg-48 kg) category against Terengganu’s Nur Balqis Syazwani Mohd Sahidi, while Hamiesha Amdan will be fighting in the the Featherweight (52 kg-57 kg) category against Sabah’s Chalcy July.

The Sukma XXI semifinal stage kicks off tonight at the Simanggang Indoor Stadium with the bout between Kelantan’s Hassan Azam and Thanasekaran Rajendran of Kedah in the Men’s Minimum Weight (45kg-48 kg) division.