Zulkarnaen (centre), flanked by Sharon and Azli, strikes a pose with the boxers, coaches and KBA committee members after the flag presentation.
KUCHING (Aug 16): Kuching Boxing Association (KBA) is sending two teams of 17 boxers to the 2nd Sarawak Open Boxing Championships at Sri Aman Indoor Stadium from Aug 20 to 26.
The KBA contingent comprises Team Sukma (Age 16-20) and Team Elite (Age 21-40).
Team Sukma boxers are Mohammad Raaiq Iqbal Ismail (48-51kg), Awang Faizal Awang Abu (51-54kg), Muhammad Zaikal Faiz Zailani and Salman Mohd Nizam (54-57kg), Mohamad Sabri Fauzi (57-60kg), Zealotra Samuel Jerry (60-63kg) and Syahrul Khan Amran Khan (86-92kg).
Making up Team Elite are Wan Nurhaziq Wan Ahmad Zaini (48-51kg), Hazim Hamimi Hariman and Mohamad Hairol Salmi (51-54kg), Haziq Hafizie Hariman (54-57kg), Jemikley Jhon (57-60kg), Muhamad Aisamuddin Mohamad (67-71kg) who is also team coach, Zulfiqar Halim (71-75kg), Jeremy Aaron Leo and Mohamad Sazali Lani (80-86kg).
The boxers, who are from ASWAT Boxing Club, Knox13 Boxing Club and Panglima Seman Boxing Club, will be accompanied by coaches Abdul Wahab Zaini and Syuraidi Zainuddin.
“This will be the first outing for Kuching boxers under KBA. In the past, Kuching was represented by various clubs or academies.
“The majority of the boxers are new so we are not setting high targets for them and I am only hoping that they can all reach the later stages of their respective categories,” KBA president Datuk Dzulkarnaen Ahmad told reporters in a press conference today after presenting the association flag to contingent leader Sandra Sharon Bala Krishan who is KBA deputy president and team manager Azli Karim who is KBA secretary.
KBA is placing hopes for last year’s silver medallists Haziq Hafizie and Jeremy Aaron to better or maintain their performance this year.
“Our main objective is to give exposure to the young boxers at big tournaments such as the Sarawak Open and give them a good opportunity to display their skills.
“We have currently about 80 boxers who are training at our gym/training centre at Jalan Muhibbah, Kampung No. 3,” he said.
KBA was formed in April last year with the objective of getting all the clubs and training centres in Kuching under one umbrella. The five clubs currently working with KBA to promote and develop boxing are ASWAT Boxing Club, Knox13 Boxing Club and Panglima Seman Boxing Club, Bau Boxing Club and First Division, 10th Battalion Border Regiment Centre of Excellence.
“We are planning to unearth more young talents especially at grass-roots level, hence we intend to go into schools to conduct TID programmes.
“To make that happen, we will be conducting or sending former division or state boxers to attend coaching coaches,” added Dzulkarnaen.