Sarawak to send 11 boxers for 22nd Sukma in Selangor

KUCHING (March 19): The Sarawak Boxing Association (Saba) will select only 11 of its best boxers to represent the state at the 22nd Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor this August. The final list will comprise eight male and three female boxers.

Saba president Datuk Rahman Lariwoo said the performance evaluation process is ongoing, with those in the training squad and centralised camp being monitored by the coaching team.

“At present, several boxers are undergoing centralised training, and the final list will be announced by mid-April,” he said.

The current pool comprises a mix of new faces and athletes who competed in Sukma XXI Sarawak 2024.

“Once the final 11 are identified, they will be given exposure by competing in several tournaments at various levels.

“Among them are the Medan Open Boxing Championship in Indonesia in April and the Sarawak Open Boxing Championship which will be held in Miri from June 23 to 28,” he added.

Selected boxers will also undergo a month-long training stint in the Philippines.

“We will take all 11 boxers to the Philippines for a month of training. The delegation, including coaches, is scheduled to depart in early July,” he said.

In a related development, the boxing training venue at Stadium Sarawak has been temporarily relocated to Gelanggang Gasing in Petra Jaya.

The move is due to upgrading works at the stadium in preparation for the 2027 SEA Games.