SRI AMAN: A boxing arena will be set up at the Sri Aman Sports Complex if Lingga assemblywoman Dayang Noorazah Awang Sohor has her way.
She said Simanggang assemblyman Datuk Francis Harden Hollis is now working on the development of the second phase of the Sri Aman Sports Complex.
She added the approval for the construction of the complex is pending as it is still undergoing a midterm assessment.
“If it is included, we can suggest a site for a boxing arena in Sri Aman. We can propose this to him as plans can be altered,” she said after officiating at the opening of the Sarawak Open Boxing Championship 2023 at the Simanggang Indoor Stadium on Sunday (Aug 20).
She said that the creation of a boxing arena is crucial due to the growing interest among local youths in the sport, as evidenced by the participation of many from Sri Aman during the championship.
However, Dayang Noorazah emphasised that the suggestion should be discussed with Francis as it falls within his constituency and also involves other agencies.
In her speech, she hoped the Sarawak Open Boxing Championship can be held annually in Sri Aman, considering the positive response from both local and foreign boxers in this second edition.
She noted that the championship also serves as a preparation for the state boxing squad to compete in the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Sarawak next year.
Meanwhile, President of the Malaysia Boxing Federation, Datuk Iruan Zulkefli, praised the commitment of the Sarawak Boxing Association (SABA) in ensuring the continuation of this championship this year.
He assured that he will work on securing funding from other ministries to assist SABA in organising the event next year, aligning with the call from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to promote the development of boxing in Sarawak and Sabah.
“We have also received permission from the Ministry of Education (MoE) to introduce boxing classes in schools in Sarawak, providing a good opportunity for our children,” he said.
This tournament saw the participation of 139 boxers from various clubs in Sarawak, including boxers from the National Sports Council (NSC), Malaysian Army (1 Div), Penang, Federal Territory, Singapore, Japan and Indonesia.
