By Muhammad Zulkarnain Mohd Azman
SRI AMAN, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Sarawak boxer Clarkson Evans Tom Frankie’s Malaysia Games (SUKMA) success is a story of redemption, driven by the mistakes he made in his early teen years.
The men’s 45-48-kilogramme (kg) category gold medallist hopes that his home victory at SUKMA 2024 will help get rid of the stigma attached to former inmates of Henry Gurney School.
The 19-year-old from Kota Samarahan said he became interested in boxing after tagging along with his friends from the school to attend training.
“At that time, many of my friends joined boxing, so I also followed them for training. After a while, I became interested in the sport.
“I want to thank my coach then, Helman Morni, who taught me so much about boxing when I first started out,” he told Bernama.
Clarkson Evans Tom, better known as Tom, has not looked back since leaving the institution as he continued to train seriously, taking part in several championships at state and national levels and winning several titles.
In fact, he never expected to represent the 2024 SUKMA host nor deliver Sarawak’s first gold medal in boxing in this edition.
“I dedicate this gold medal to my family, who have helped me so much. Thanks also to Sarawak boxing coaches who helped me so much in my journey to win the SUKMA gold medal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tom hopes those who had similar experiences will strengthen their resolve to rebuild their lives and become more successful individuals one day.
“Change from an early stage so that we can get rid of society’s negative perception,” he said.
Earlier, Tom delivered Sarawak’s first gold medal in boxing when he outfought Kedah’s R. Thanasekaran 5-0 in the final.
-- BERNAMA
