SINGAPORE — Boxing may have been left out of the initial list of 30 sports for the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, but Singapore Amateur Boxing Association (SABA) President Syed Abdul Kadir is confident the sport will eventually be included.

Last week, the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) approved the list submitted by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on the sidelines of the ongoing SEA Games in Myanmar.

But Kadir believes the region’s National Olympic Committees will lobby for the sport’s inclusion into the 2015 SEA Games roster when the SEAGF Committee convenes in Singapore in February to finalise the sports programme.

“How can boxing not be included? The sport has such a rich history in the SEA Games because it has been contested since the very first edition in Bangkok in 1959,” said the 65-year-old, who competed at the 1974 Munich Olympics and is a former South-east Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games — the precursor to the SEA Games — champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.

“When we hosted the Games in 1973, 1983 and 1993, boxing was there, too. So, it’s not as though Singapore is a stranger to SEA Games boxing.

“It will be unthinkable not to have boxing at the SEA Games. SABA has done all the preparatory and groundwork in the belief that boxing will be contested in the 2015 Games. We have even shortlisted a number of venues and worked out the logistics and forwarded it to the SNOC.

“I assure the SNOC that boxing will enjoy tremendous crowd support when we host it. We will have boxers competing and I’m very confident Singaporeans will come and support their own boxers.”

Kadir believes the two bronze medals won by Singapore’s Muhammad Ridhwan Ahmad in the lightweight (60kg) and Muhammad Solihin Nordin in the bantamweight (57kg), and the participation of Muhammed Harnudden Hamid (flyweight), Leong Jun Hao (welterweight) and Zakaria Ismail (heavyweight) at the Myanmar Games will also strengthen SABA’s case for the sport’s inclusion for the 2015 SEA Games.

Although they failed to win Singapore’s first SEA Games boxing gold medal since Mohd Mukhlis won the men’s 67kg title in 1985, Kadir is encouraged by their attitude and diligence during a month-long stint in Melbourne last month that cost SABA about S$25,000.

“We have a bunch of talented and dedicated boxers who will be even better in two years,” said Kadir.

“I’m not boasting, but their physical condition was an example for others. They were all supremely fit and never once did they show any signs of tiredness or complain of fatigue. What our boxers lack is fighting experience. That means taking part in more and tougher competitions.”

SEA Games on MediaCorp Channel 5 and Toggle LIVE:

7:30pm — Daily LIVE Action: Table tennis (group stage), hockey (group stage), athletics

11.00pm — Today At The Games (Highlights)

For latest updates and schedules, visit xinmsn.com/seagames2013.