Siti (third left) presenting the MBR certificate to Nazri as Nizam (centre) looks on.
KOTA KINABALU (May 26): Sabah Muaythai Association (Muaythai Sabah) reached a new milestone following a history-making competition held here over the weekend.
In a Facebook post late Sunday, Muaythai Sabah announced that the Sabah Muaythai Expo: Ladies Fight & Pro Rising Fight has been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for recording the highest number of female participants in a Muaythai tournament.
The event was held over three-day at Palm Square, Centre Point Sabah.
“This milestone is bigger than a record,” Muaythai Sabah posted.
“It represents the growth of women in Muaythai, the courage of every female athlete who stepped into the ring and the continuous rise of the combat sports scene in Sabah and Malaysia.
“To all fighters, coaches, gyms, officials, supporters, sponsors and the entire organising team, this achievement belongs to all of you.
“Thank you for believing in the vision and making history together. This is only the beginning. Women’s muaythai is rising stronger than ever,” Muaythai Sabah added.
The presentation of the National Record certificate was held during the closing ceremony earlier in the day with MBR officer Siti Hajar Johor breaking the news.
Muaythai Sabah president Nazri Abdul Razak received the framed certificate and witnessed by Minister of Youth Development, Sports Advancement and Creative Economy Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.
Meanwhile, Nizam said he was impressed and proud to see the championship successfully breaking traditional dominance as ‘a strong symbol of women’s empowerment in combat sports”.
“For many years, muaythai has often been seen as a male-dominated sport. However, this championship has proven that women are equally capable of competing with confidence, courage and excellence,” he added.
The tournament, which involved 313 participants, also stood out as it was fully organised and driven by women across all aspects of the event, including technical operations, medical teams, media crew, management, coaches and athletes.
Nizam congratulated women coaches Addyanna Adangku and Mardiana Mohd Maulana, together with their teams, for organising the event.
“You have all proven that women empowerment in Sabah is far more than just a slogan, it is a living reality driven by courage, determination and unwavering hard work,” said the minister.
He also highlighted Sabah’s success in producing world-class athletes, including five-time world champion Yan Jia Chi, who is also a SEA Games gold medal winner.
Organisers were also commended for inviting Malaysian Muaythai diva Amisha Nazrizal Azrilrizal and Emmabel Casandra to inspire young local talents.
The tournament saw Ecyle Leon Luwing of AWP Martial Arts Academy, Siti Nurhawani of Tambuakar Martial Arts and Nadia Izzabel Mohamed Azizi of XMuay Fitness named ‘Best Athlete’ in the youth, open and master divisions respectively.
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