IPOH: National muaythai coach Bernard Radin expressed his dismay that the country’s muaythai 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 tournaments came up, but seemed to be marginalised after that.
Ahead of the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, the Malaysian Muaythai Association deputy president admitted that the journey to give birth to world champions requires a lot of sacrifice, especially in terms of finances.
“We admit that MSN (State Sports Council) helped a lot, so too the state government (of Perak) during SUKMA (the Malaysia Games) in Perak, during the SEA games there was also help, but after that we were left alone.
“We spend a lot of our own expenses to train athletes, especially expenses to enter international circuit competitions,” he said when met at the Penyatuan Ummah Fisabilillah Aidilfitri open house here last night.
National Muaythai athlete Mohd Rifdean Masdor, who won a hattrick after winning his third consecutive World Muaythai Championship title in the men’s Under-23 (U-23) 51 kg 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 51 kg 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 Muaythai 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 Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) recognizes muaythai like other sports that excel.
He stressed that it is also in line with the sport’s efforts to produce future exponents because the country’s muaythai 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 muaythai 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 muaythai 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 Muaythai Championships in Bangkok from May 3-13, 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
