By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 7: Sarawakian Frederick Xian Bartholomew Albern has come a long way from a delinquent past to becoming a promising boxing star.
The 19-year-old Bidayuh athlete, hailing from Kampung Sungai Duuh in Siburan, started boxing when he was at Henry Gurney School in Puncak Borneo in 2021.
Following his recent triumph over Sabah’s Joel Evekly Jain in the finals of the men’s Featherweight category (54kg to 57kg) at the recently held Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024 in Sri Aman, Frederick remains dedicated to his training regimen.
Outside of his boxing commitments, he finds himself with ample free time, which he is currently utilising to seek out job opportunities.
In an exclusive interview with DayakDaily, Frederick shared a glimpse into the earlier days of him picking up the sparring gloves.
“I started boxing when I was sent to Henry Gurney School three years ago.
“I was among the students who were selected to undergo the boxing sports development programme offered by Puncak Borneo Prison.
“Back then, I wasn’t particularly drawn to boxing; however, I decided to give it a shot and see where it might lead me,” he said, adding that his grandparents, siblings and aunts back in his village were very supportive of him taking up boxing.
Great start in rolling with the punches
Frederick’s first competition was the 2022 Malaysia Cup Boxing Championships held in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, in February last year.
He won a gold medal during his debut performance in the men’s lightweight (63.5kg) category.
“When I first entered the ring, I was quite nervous but I had to try my best since I had trained for so long.
“I won some of the matches by knockout (KO) and I also won against a fellow boxer from Sibu in the gold medal match,” he added.
Frederick’s other achievements include bagging a gold medal and receiving the Most Promising Boxer (Youth) Award at the 2023 National Youth Boxing Championship at Dataran Kubah Ria, Kuching; a silver medal at the 2023 Malaysia Cup Boxing Championships in Negeri Sembilan; a bronze medal at the National Men’s and Women’s Golden Gloves Boxing Championship in Terengganu; a bronze medal at the 2023 Sarawak Open Boxing Championships in Sri Aman; a silver medal at the 2024 Sarawak Open Boxing Championships in Kuching; and a silver medal at the 2024 National Combat Sports Championship in UPM Serdang, Selangor.
Strong backing from ‘Ayah’
In addition to providing him with a fresh start, Frederick revealed that boxing has led him to a mentor, Helman Morni, whom he regards with deep respect, referring to him affectionately as ‘Ayah’ (father).
After graduation, Frederick continues to live with Helman—accepted as a foster son by the latter’s family.
If he is not training at Sarawak Stadium, he would follow Helman to train at Henry Gurney School instead.
To Helman, Frederick is an obedient child who also works hard to become a promising boxer.
However, Frederick credits Helman’s fatherly figure with igniting his strength and spirit to become a fighter that he is now, determined to make his Ayah/coach proud.
He believes that with Helman by his side, he is not just an obedient fighter, but a warrior, ready to face any challenge in the ring and beyond.
Rough seas before Sukma
Touching on his boxing journey, Frederick listed his final match during the recently concluded Sukma 2024 as his hardest boxing challenge ever.
He was pitted against Sabah’s Joel in the men’s feather weight 54kg-57kg category and won the gold medal by a 5-0 victory.
“Prior to winning the match, I was so nervous because I knew that the opponent has a lot more experience compared to me. This was my first Sukma.
“I also felt that the fight against him was an intense one. But luckily, I followed through with all the strategies and plans we discussed and was able to win the match.
“Moreover, I had a lot of pressure on my mind because I lost in two competitions this year just before Sukma—a silver medal each at 2024 Sarawak Open Boxing Championships and 2024 National Combat Sports Championship,” he elaborated.
Nevertheless, he also described the Sukma competition as the sweetest memory in his boxing journey, the farthest he has ever reached so far.
Aspirations of fighting in the sky
Frederick has the potential to pursue boxing as a career but deep down, a different dream has stirred within him—one that had nothing to do with the boxing ring.
“I’ve always wanted to join the Air Force. I plan to keep boxing while pursuing my Air Force goals.
“If I can, I want to do both where I do not have to trade the boxing gloves for a pilot’s helmet to chase my dream in the clouds,” he stated.
For him, boxing is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life that has instilled discipline, resilience, and focus—qualities that he believes will serve him well in the military.
— DayakDaily
