KOTA MARUDU: Five homegrown athletes from Kota Marudu made Sabah and Malaysia proud after delivering an impressive performance at the inaugural IFMA Muaythai School World Championships held at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, recently.
Representing Malaysia through Revolution Muaythai Club Kota Marudu, the athletes returned with an outstanding haul of two golds, two silvers and one bronze against some of the world’s best young Muaythai competitors.
Leading the charge was Wallace Isaiah Wilfred of SMK Kota Marudu, who was crowned World Champion in the Under-14 Boys 46kg category. Wallace fought three bouts throughout the tournament, defeating a boxer from China in the semi-finals before overcoming Mongolia’s representative in the final to secure the gold medal.
Another gold medal was delivered by Afreena Darwisyah Abdul Lazi of SJKC Khoi Ming, who emerged as World Champion in the Under-12 Girls 38kg category following an all-Malaysian final.
Malaeka Batrisyia Abdul Lazi of SMK Kota Marudu added a silver medal to Malaysia’s tally after advancing through three bouts. She recorded a notable victory over a Russian opponent in the semi-finals before narrowly losing on points to a Mongolian athlete in the final.
Vincent Liew Lip Fung of SMK Kota Marudu earned a bronze medal after progressing to the semi-finals, where he was defeated by a competitor from Russia.
Meanwhile, Nick Nynell Arletto Kent Anddy of SMK Salaping competed in the Under-16 Boys 45kg category and fought in two matches before losing to an athlete fromUzbekistan in the Preliminary Round. However, he was given a second opportunity to compete in a Special Bout under the Under-18 Boys 48kg category, where he successfully secured a silver medal.
Accompanying the contingent were coaches Mexron James and Abdul Lazi, both of whom played crucial roles in the athletes’ preparation and development throughout the championship.
According to Mexron, one of the team’s biggest challenges was ensuring that all athletes maintained their required weight categories while managing proper nutrition and overall health during the preparation period. The team also faced difficulties in securing funding to cover travel and participation expenses.
He noted that the level of competition at the world championship was exceptionally high, with the athletes facing some of the best fighters from various countries who possessed greater experience and stronger competitive backgrounds than opponents they had encountered previously.
To prepare for the championship, all athletes underwent six months of intensive training, which included technical development, physical conditioning, mental resilience training and sparring sessions with other athletes.
Following the success, Revolution Muaythai Club Kota Marudu plans to continue focusing on youth athlete development through earlier preparations for upcoming national and international competitions.
The club also intends to expand grassroots development programmes, organise more joint training sessions with external teams and increase competitive exposure opportunities in an effort to produce more world champions from Kota Marudu and Sabah in the future.
