KUCHING: Mixed emotions filled the air for Ivan Bong as he stepped into the boxing ring for his debut fight.
The 20-year-old Kuching native faced a formidable opponent at the Underground Boxing Club’s Octagon Fight Challenge (UG 3) held at The Underground Sports Centre on Jalan Song.
Despite the eventual loss, Ivan remains undeterred, viewing the experience as a valuable learning opportunity.
Weighing in at 74kg, Ivan competed in the lightweight category, though he acknowledged that internationally, this weight class would likely be considered middleweight.
Despite the classification differences, he approached the fight with confidence.
“I feel like I had tougher sparring sessions prior to the fight,” Ivan told Sarawak Tribune.
However, he conceded that his opponent outperformed him on the night.
“It was a tough fight, but he was the better fighter last night,” he added.
While disappointed with the outcome, Ivan remains optimistic.
He believes that additional training and a focus on refining his fundamentals could have altered the result.
“To be honest, I will need to train more. His fundamentals were stronger, and my form could have been better, but I’ll learn from the experience,” he said.
Ivan has been training under coach Stephen Onn of the Knights Boxing Team since May last year.
However, he noted that his opponent’s full-time dedication to the sport, having dropped out of high school, underscores the level of commitment required for success in boxing.
“I couldn’t sleep the night before, but now I’m feeling fine. Not that nervous anymore. Praise God,” he said.
