Rahman (centre) chairs the press conference yesterday as other organising committee members look on.
KUCHING (April 9): The World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia Championships, which is to be held for the first time in Malaysia, will take place at the Sarawak Indoor Stadium at Petra Jaya here on May 11.
The event follows immediately after the 3rd Sarawak Open Boxing Championships which will be held at the same venue from May 6 to 10.
This was announced by Sarawak Boxing Association (Saba) president Dato Rahman Lariwoo at a press conference yesterday.
The WBC Asia tournament will see 12 professional boxers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Australia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Japan and India.
Prize money will be USD2,700 and USD1,700 each for winners and losers respectively.
Sarawak’s very own Daeloniel McDelon Bong or ‘Kilat Boy’ will be representing Malaysia in the event.
Saba will be bringing in Asia Boxing Federation (ABC) bantamweight champion Herlan Gomez of the Philippines as a sparring partner for Daeloniel to prepare for the tournament.
The sparring sessions will be held at the Saba centre at the outdoor Sarawak Stadium. Members of the public are welcomed to watch the sessions from April 20 at night.
Meanwhile, Rahman appealed to fans to turn out in force to catch the action at the Sarawak Indoor Stadium which has a seating capacity of 5,000. Entry is free of charge.
He expressed the hope that the prestigious tournament would position Sarawak on the world boxing map and that the championships can be hosted annually in Sarawak.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg is expected to officiate the WBC Asia Championships.
On a separate topic, Rahman told reporters that Saba is confident that Sarawak boxers can win six gold medals at the 2024 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in August.
