KUCHING: For the majority of Sarawakian fighters — from boxing to kickboxing athletes — who have excelled in their sports as champions and winners will always attribute their success in the development of their performances, skills and strength to coach Fred Mandangi.
Bryan Tan, a former MIMMA4 contender and Pro Muaythai champion, was featured on the warrior asia blog quoting: “My boxing coach, Fred, has over 22 years of experience in teaching boxing. He trained my stamina, speed and agility.”
Another fighter Stephen Ong was also trained by Fred, namely after competing in the 2014’s MIMMA . From training how to sharpen his boxing skills, In 2017, Stephen soon went on a quest to fight as a national boxer.
Upon inclusively deliberating the development of boxing in Sarawak, Fred’s involvement in boxing caught our attention and the New Sarawak Tribune requested to have an exclusive interview with the coach himself at a club he is most comfortable with. The session was held at the Knox13 Club near Metrocity.
After a few minutes waiting near the premises, Roland, vice president of the club whose fortitude resembles a WWE fighter, came over. Soon, just by a few minutes apart, arrived Fred. If he somehow had a shaved cut like Roland, he would pass for an Asian Mike Tyson role.
Who is Fred Mandangi?
Fred is originally from the Indonesian province of Papua. His involvement in boxing began during his adolescent period. Being quite a delinquent at that age as he described himself, before realizing that he was on a path of becoming a coach, he first discovered boxing.
“Before I started proper training, I was always getting into trouble and one day, my rehabilitation officer brought me to a boxing club and said , ‘Look Boy, … if you can waste your life being up to no good or end up dead for nothing, you can also can be in this place to make good use of yourself do you understand?’, said the police to me.
“From there I was trained by Manaser Bonsapea who was my first coach, then John Russel, and William Papei… All the boxing coaches in the town of Sorong had a great influence on me.
“They helped me figure out my strength, my weaknesses and always gave me advice. A month later, I faced my first opponent in 1979 in a regional tournament and lost. I lost confidence and gave up on boxing but my coaches came over to my family home and pushed me to move forward and continue training as usual.
“I trained very hard to qualify for the SEA Games. In 1994 and 195 I competed but did not win. I came back in 1996 and won the silver medal.
“A year later, the government enrolled me for a coach certification course in Cuba which I completed in 1998.
“I started my first position in coaching as the junior assistant coach in 1999
“In 2003, I was then offered the position of head coach for Central Kalimantan, Palangkaraya.
“In 2004, I was transferred to Pontianak and in 2006, I came in as a sub-coach under MSN as temporary import coach and led the Sarawak team in the games in Kedah.
“After that, I was absorbed into MSN as Sarawak’s head coach from 2006 till now,” he pointed out.
