Sabah Muaythai influence grows
Published on: Sunday, June 22, 2025
Published on: Sun, Jun 22, 2025
By: GL Oh Text Size: (From left) Asyraf Danial, Mohd Wassof, Tengku Rozaini( Team Manager), Damia, Sally Kuan (Angie's mum), Angie Yan , Eva anastasia, Cyrille Dhillon Tahing and Adam Haiqal upon their arrival at the airport in Vietnam on Friday. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah muaythai's influence on the national team continued to grow as World champions Angie Yan Jia Chi and Asraf Danial and Eva Anastasia, all Sabahans, were featured in the six-member squad. They will be taking part in the IFMA Asian Muaythai Championship 2025 in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, which started on Saturday (June21). Angie, a three-time IFMA Senior World Championship U23 winner in 2023, 2024, 2025 and Asyraf, who won the IFMA Senior World Championship 2024 U23 title will compete in the Wai kru discipline, while Eva Anastasia is in the – 48kg combat category. The other members in the team are Damia Husna (– 45kg combat), captain Mohd Wassof Rumijam (– 54kg combat) and Adam Haiqal (– 60kg combat). Head Coach is another Sabahan Cyrille Dhillon Tahing, who is entrusted with preparing the national squad for one of Asia's most prestigious Muaythai competitions, featuring participation from over 35 countries. According to him, Malaysia Muaythai Association are not setting any medal target, as the main focus is to provide exposure at international level ahead of the SEA Games 2025.
Advertisement And is a stepping stone for future participation in regional professional circuits and centralised national training camps. However, he is confident the athletes will be able to deliver the goods in the six-day competition. 'Although the primary purpose of this trip is giving opportunities for development, that doesn't mean that we're not aiming for medals and I am certain the athletes will give their best for Malaysia,' he said on Saturday. Meanwhile, Sabah Muaythai Association president Hj. Nazri Ab Razak was proud of Cyrille and the three athletes. 'Seeing Sabahans earning places in the national team reflects our years of consistent effort, sacrifice, and structured development at state level. 'Their selection reinforces Sabah's status as an emerging force in Malaysian Muaythai and a consistent contributor to national and regional excellence. 'We are proud of their achievements and it is a defining milestone in their journey. We are confident that this will inspire more young talents in Sabah to pursue Muaythai at the highest level,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
13 hours ago
- Daily Express
Jeeno ahead at Women's PGA Championship
Published on: Sunday, June 22, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 22, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: 22-year-old Jeeno, the world number two from Thailand, has won already this year on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour and is chasing her first major title. LOS ANGELES: Jeeno Thitikul closed with back-to-back birdies in a two-under par 70 on Friday to stretch her lead to three strokes as sweltering heat and high winds again tested golfers at the Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Jeeno, the world number two from Thailand, started the day with a one-shot lead over Australia's Minjee Lee at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco north of Dallas. She teed off on the 10th hole and after a bogey at 12 was back in control with birdies at the 15th and third. She gave a stroke back at the par-three fourth, where she missed the green, but rolled in a 12-foot birdie at the eighth and a four-footer at the ninth to finish 36 holes on six-under 138. 'The wind and the rough,' the 22-year-old said of the toughest challenges on a day when only 14 players broke par. The 22-year-old, who has won already this year on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, is chasing her first major title. Advertisement She was three strokes clear of Australian Minjee Lee and Japan's Rio Takeda. Jeeno said she actually played better than she had in posting a 68 on Thursday. 'I had better tee shots than yesterday and put myself in the positions that I have a chance,' she said. 'If not, I just tried to make par. I think par, it's a really big key here—no birdies but 18 pars, you take it.' Lee, who started the day one adrift, had three birdies and three bogeys in her even par 72. Takeda teed off on 10 and had all four of her birdies on her second nine: three in a row at the fourth, fifth and sixth and an up and down from a bunker at the ninth in a one-under 71. Lee also said the wind was a key factor, making club selection difficult. 'It just felt like it was so much more magnified,' Lee said. 'Yesterday the ball, I mean, if it was a left-to-right wind and I hit a little bit of a draw it didn't really touch it as much as, like, today I hit a draw and it still went left to right. 'I just tried to stay patient out there,' she added. 'It was really windy and quite hard to even hold the greens on some of them.' Only seven players finished the day under par for the tournament. US veteran Lexi Thompson was alone in fourth after a 70 for two-under 142 with South Korean Lee So-mi, Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim sharing fifth on one-under 143. Thompson, an 11-time LPGA winner who is playing a limited schedule this year, was among the earliest starters and had three birdies before a bogey at 18 in her two-under 70. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
16 hours ago
- Daily Express
Sabah Muaythai influence grows
Published on: Sunday, June 22, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 22, 2025 By: GL Oh Text Size: (From left) Asyraf Danial, Mohd Wassof, Tengku Rozaini( Team Manager), Damia, Sally Kuan (Angie's mum), Angie Yan , Eva anastasia, Cyrille Dhillon Tahing and Adam Haiqal upon their arrival at the airport in Vietnam on Friday. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah muaythai's influence on the national team continued to grow as World champions Angie Yan Jia Chi and Asraf Danial and Eva Anastasia, all Sabahans, were featured in the six-member squad. They will be taking part in the IFMA Asian Muaythai Championship 2025 in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, which started on Saturday (June21). Angie, a three-time IFMA Senior World Championship U23 winner in 2023, 2024, 2025 and Asyraf, who won the IFMA Senior World Championship 2024 U23 title will compete in the Wai kru discipline, while Eva Anastasia is in the – 48kg combat category. The other members in the team are Damia Husna (– 45kg combat), captain Mohd Wassof Rumijam (– 54kg combat) and Adam Haiqal (– 60kg combat). Head Coach is another Sabahan Cyrille Dhillon Tahing, who is entrusted with preparing the national squad for one of Asia's most prestigious Muaythai competitions, featuring participation from over 35 countries. According to him, Malaysia Muaythai Association are not setting any medal target, as the main focus is to provide exposure at international level ahead of the SEA Games 2025. Advertisement And is a stepping stone for future participation in regional professional circuits and centralised national training camps. However, he is confident the athletes will be able to deliver the goods in the six-day competition. 'Although the primary purpose of this trip is giving opportunities for development, that doesn't mean that we're not aiming for medals and I am certain the athletes will give their best for Malaysia,' he said on Saturday. Meanwhile, Sabah Muaythai Association president Hj. Nazri Ab Razak was proud of Cyrille and the three athletes. 'Seeing Sabahans earning places in the national team reflects our years of consistent effort, sacrifice, and structured development at state level. 'Their selection reinforces Sabah's status as an emerging force in Malaysian Muaythai and a consistent contributor to national and regional excellence. 'We are proud of their achievements and it is a defining milestone in their journey. We are confident that this will inspire more young talents in Sabah to pursue Muaythai at the highest level,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Daily Express
Sabah Hapkido athletes bag a gold, 2 bronzes
Published on: Saturday, June 21, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 21, 2025 By: Azmie Lim Text Size: The four Sabah athletes who represented Malaysia. LAHAD DATU: The Sabah Hapkido team brought home three medals from the Southeast Asia Hapkido Championship 2025 held in Indonesia from June 14 to 15. Sabah Hapkido founder and President, Master Bernardo Vivero said Sabah bagged a gold medal and two bronzes in the championship. Bernardo said Ikhwanul Hakim Endrajid secured the gold medal after defeating two athletes from Thailand. He further said Ikhwanul showed an amazing performance including winning a technical knockout (TKO) in the early round and complete victory in the final round. 'His amazing performance saw him crowned as the best youth athlete of the championship. 'We also secured two bronze medals from Daphne Suling and Mohd Izwan Fitri. Advertisement 'Our other athlete, Affyzan Bernardo also showed standout performance but had to concede to the participant from Cambodia in the quarter-finals,' he said. According to Bernardo, the success shows that although Hapkido is newly introduced in Malaysia, especially in Sabah, it has successfully produced high calibre young athletes to compete at the international level. He said all the athletes will diligently continue learning and training to inspire more people to join Hapkido. 'Hapkido is a Korean martial art that emphasises practical self-defence, incorporating techniques like joint locks, grappling, throws and striking. 'Those interested in joining us may follow us on Facebook - Hapkido Sabah or contact me at 010-4539970,' he added. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
