On track to produce more champs

Daily Express

8 hours ago

Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025
By: GL Oh Text Size: Some of the participants with officials after the closing ceremony. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Muaythai Association is on track to produce more champions in the future as the Sabah Muaythai Expo-Rookie Challenge organised by them was successfully held at the Revolution Combat Gym (State Muaythai Training Centre) in Penampang over the weekend. A total of 139 fighters aged 14-20 from 22 gyms throughout the State took part in the two-day competition for those with less than five fights experience.
Advertisement State coach Cyrille Dhillon Tahing, who initiated the event, said the main aim was to lay a strong grassroots foundation in the sport as well as to give opportunity for the Sabah Games (Saga) bound athletes. 'Our main goal is not just to find a winner, but to build a strong foundation for the development of Muaythai in the State. 'Many out there may have great potential, but they don't have the opportunity to prove their abilities in a competitive environment, especially new athletes. 'Therefore, the Rookie Challenge was created as their first platform to meet their opponents on the same level, in a controlled, safe and professional environment. 'I believe that from this event, future champions will be born who will bring glory to Sabah at the national and international levels. 'This is also one of the strategic steps to help athletes to prepare ahead of the Sabah Games (Saga XI) in Tawau. 'I want them to be more prepared, confident, and experienced when representing their respective districts or teams later,' he said. President Hj Nazri Abd Razak was also happy with the positive response and said the competition played an important role in strengthening the Muaythai ecosystem in the State. 'It is through grassroots competitions like this, we not only provide opportunities for new talents to shine, but also instil a deep interest in combat sports among the younger generation. 'The Rookie Challenge was created specifically for our amateur athletes to compete on a big platform, and through a professional judging system and high competition standards. 'We want to build confidence and a winning mentality from the very beginning as we believe every champion has to start from the bottom,' he said. He also thanked strategic partners including Milo Malaysia, sponsors, coaches and all Muaythai fans in the State for their continued support. Meanwhile, Kapayan State Assembly representative Jannie Lasimbang, who officiated the opening ceremony, congratulated the State body and those involved for successfully staging the event. 'As a representative of the people, I feel very proud to see efforts like this — which not only raise the status of Muaythai, but also have a great impact on the development of young people's character. 'We live in a world full of distractions and temptations. Social pressures, easy access to illicit substances, and unstoppable negative influences — all of these have become realities that we cannot take lightly, especially in areas like Penampang. 'I believe that if we want to see a strong and prosperous society, we need to start from the foundation. A tournament like this is an important step towards that,' she 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.
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