From pianist to warrior: Angie brings glory to Malaysia on Muay Thai global stage

New Straits Times

06-07-2025

KOTA KINABALU: Yan Jia Chi, better known as Angie, has become a precious gem for Malaysia on the Muay Thai global stage after earning multiple gold medals and international honours.
Angie, 21, a 'Sumandak' (young girl in Kadazandusun language), is a three-time gold medallist in the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) Senior World Championship Under-23 (U-23) division, winning in 2023 (Thailand), 2024 (Greece) and 2025 (Turkiye).
Formerly a pianist, the young lass, who developed an interest in Muay Thai seven years ago, also bagged a gold medal in the female Wai Kru solo category at the IFMA Asian Championships in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam this year.
Angie, born in Johor to a Sabahan mother and a Johorean father, has represented Malaysia in showcasing the sport during the 2024 Paris Olympics, contributing to global promotion efforts.
Angie also made her mark in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) where in 2022 in Kuala Lumpur she won gold, marking a historic win as this was the first time the event was included in the Games, and she also won gold in the Sukma last year in Sarawak.
Sharing with Bernama, Angie recalled her first encounter with Muay Thai occurred when she accompanied and watched her friend training at a gym in Kota Kinabalu here, where she found the sport fascinating.
"At first I was actually a pianist. I spent years learning and practicing piano until one day I followed my friend. I didn't train, just sat and watched, but when I saw how interesting it was, I decided to try my first class in Muay Thai," she said, adding that she truly enjoyed it and wanted to improve.
"That's how my journey began. From then on, I just kept going. Right now at university, I follow a simple routine - go to class and train in the afternoon," said Angie, who is currently continuing her studies at Tourism and Recreation University in Thailand.
The oldest of three siblings, born in Johor but raised in Sabah, Angie explained that when preparing for tournaments, she trains around four to six hours daily in two sessions - morning and evening. While studying, however, she trains only in the afternoon after classes for two and a half hours.
Her first competition was the Karnival Pelapis Kebangsaan Sukan Muaythai meet in Kuala Lumpur in 2019.
Reflecting on her journey as a fighter, Angie shared a bitter memory from 2023 when both her knees were badly injured and swollen for an extended period and despite needing rest, she couldn't recover properly due to back-to-back competitions.
"I couldn't stop training even though my body really needed the break. Physically, the challenge is dealing with training, injuries, soreness, and muscle pain, especially during intense training periods.
"Mentally, it's sometimes hard to stay motivated. I try to push myself to perform at my best every time and often find myself comparing my progress to others. There are days when I'm tired, doubting myself, or feeling like I'm not improving fast enough," she said, adding that she began training in Thailand in 2023.
Regarding her diet, Angie emphasised the importance of drinking plenty of water, explaining that she chose to train in Thailand because it is the birthplace of Muay Thai.
The training there is intense and traditional. She benefits from learning directly from an experienced Thai coach, and being immersed in the culture among high-level athletes helps her improve more rapidly.
"In the future, I plan to keep improving and compete at an even higher level of competition and bring my country's name as well as Sabah to the world stage," she added. – BERNAMA