Muay thai deserves recognition, has good track record: coach

IPOH – National muay thai coach Bernard Radin expressed his dismay that the country’s muay thai will be left behind if efforts to recognise the martial art as equal to other sports are not made now – including providing training funding. 

He said the team was only helped seasonally when a big tournament comes up, but seemed to be marginalised after that. 

Ahead of the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, the Malaysian muay thai Association deputy president admitted that the journey to give birth to world champions requires a lot of sacrifices, especially in terms of finances. 

“We admit that the State Sports Council helped a lot, and so did the Perak state government during the Malaysia Games in Perak. We also received help during the SEA games, but after that, we were left on our own.

“We spent a lot of our own expenses to train athletes, especially to enter international circuit competitions,” he said when met last night at the Penyatuan Ummah Fisabilillah Aidilfitri open house. 

National muay thai athlete Mohd Rifdean Masdor, who won a hattrick after winning his third consecutive World muay thai Championship title in the men’s Under-23 (U-23) 51kg category in Bangkok recently after the 2021 and 2022 editions, was also present. 

Also present were Nur Amisha Azrilrizal who won her maiden world championship title in the women’s U-23 51kg category at the same tournament as well as Muhammad Fadzmi Aiman ​​Mohd Fadzli or Jebat who won a silver. 

Bernard, who is also the Perak muay thai Association president, said that since the Podium programme was abolished a few years ago, financial problems have plagued the athletes, especially with them venturing into the sport full-time. 

He said that as a sport that has never failed to achieve its targets and has now produced world-class athletes, it is appropriate that the Youth and Sports Ministry recognises muay thai like other sports Malaysia excels in.

He stressed that it is also in line with the sport’s efforts to produce future exponents because the country’s muay thai talent is seen as capable of challenging and creating surprises at the international level. 

Touching on the preparations for 2025 SEA Games, he said that the muay thai events listed in the Games held gold prospects. 

“I have not set a target, but with 18 gold medals on offer, we expect to do our best to win gold medals,” he said. 

For the SEA Games that Malaysia will host in 2027, Bernard is confident that muay thai will be listed because the sport is one of the country’s gold medal hopes, and has athletes who will achieve success. 

Malaysia, represented by 10 athletes at the 2023 World muay thai Championships in Bangkok from May 3 to 13, brought home five gold medals, two silver and one bronze. 

At the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, the country’s athletes were unable to participate in the edition following the host's action to change the name of the sport to Kun Khmer (kickboxing). 

Bernard said the national team will next perform in the pro-world circuit that will take place next month. – Bernama, May 17, 2023