KUALA LUMPUR – The national squad won two gold, two silver and one bronze in the Under-23 category at the World Muaythai Championships held in Patras, Greece from May 31 to Monday (June 10).
Female fighter Angie Yan Jia Chi, who emerged as the champion of the 2023 World Cup and World Combat Games, Riyard 2023, successfully defended her title in the Wai Kru art category.
She performed brilliantly in the final to win 9.45 points, beating the challenger from the Philippines, Alyssa Kylie who got 9.40 points.
The other gold was contributed by Asyraf Danial Abdul Latif, who this time appeared with a solo performance in the men’s Wai Kru art category, after appearing as the champion of the Mai Muay duo category with Dariss Muzammil Mahadi in the last edition.
He collected 9.26 points to beat the participant from the Philippines, L.J. Rafael Nasay (9.20 points) in the final.
Malaysia won the silver medals through the pair of Myra Arina Roslan-Jezzevelle Myora in the women’s Mai Muay duo art category, as well as Damia Husna Azian in the women’s 48kg combat category.
Nur Amisha Azrilrizal failed to defend her title in the women’s 51kg category after losing to Russian athlete, Olga Naumkina 27-30 in the semi-finals, thus having to settle for the bronze.
Malaysian Muaythai Association (PMM) president Datuk Muhammad Shahnaz Azmi, who was satisfied with the achievement, said Malaysia, who sent eight athletes to the world championships this time, were ranked 11th out of 93 competing countries.
“We are using this platform as an exposure for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. This time Muaythai Malaysia did not send team leader Rifdean Masdor who suffered an injury and is preparing for a fight at One Championship and other tournaments.
“The national representatives, together with all the competitors, have been taken to the birthplace of the Olympic Games, which is Olympia, Greece as a symbolic gesture whereby muaythai will be a demonstration sport at the Paris Olympics next month as an initial effort to bring this sport to the Olympic Games in the future, ” he said in a statement – June 12, 2024