Latest news with #WorldCombatGames
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Sabah's muay thai prodigy Angie Yan shines in Turkiye
KOTA KINABALU: Sabahan Angie Yan Jia Chi has once again made the state and country proud by retaining her world under-23 title in the female Wai Kru division at the 2025 IFMA World Muay Thai Championships in Antalya, Turkiye. Yan, 23, dazzled the judges in the final with a performance that combined tradition, grace, and technical precision, scoring 9.60 points to edge out her Filipina opponent by just 0.1 point. The narrow victory sealed her third consecutive world championship in the age category, having previously triumphed in Thailand (2023) and Greece (2024). Her mother, Sally Kuan, beamed with pride at her daughter's latest achievement, crediting Yan's discipline and love for muay thai's cultural roots. 'This win not only adds another gold to Malaysia's medal tally, but also highlights the determination and cultural pride of our youth in keeping tradition alive on the world stage,' she said. Yan has built a reputation as a dominant force in the non-combat Wai Kru category, a traditional pre-fight ritual that celebrates respect, heritage and mental focus in muay thai. Her growing list of accolades includes gold medals at the 2023 IFMA World Cup U-23 in Turkiye; the World Combat Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and last year's Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak. Beyond competitive success, Yan also had the honour of being one of the two Malaysians at the 2024 Paris Olympics, not as a medal contender, but as part of a cultural showcase to promote muay thai globally. She was selected to perform a special muay thai demonstration aimed at advocating for its inclusion as an official medal sport in the future. 'This experience gave me the chance to promote our art on the world's biggest stage. It is about more than just competition, it is about honouring a tradition and showing the world how much it means to us,' Yan said in an earlier statement. Meanwhile, both the national and state muay thai bodies extended their congratulations, commending Yan's consistency and her role in promoting the sport. Sabah Muaythai Association president Nazri Ab Razak praised her as a role model for aspiring athletes. 'With five world titles now under Sabah's belt, we hope her success will inspire more youths in the state to pursue excellence in the sport, especially in its cultural disciplines,' he said. He also noted that the sport is entering the third phase of its five-year development plan in Sabah, with growing emphasis on expanding local competitions and strengthening grassroots talent. Among upcoming events, muay thai will feature prominently in the Sabah Games (Saga) in Tawau this October where, for the first time, the Wai Kru category will be officially included after making its debut as a demonstration event at Saga 2023 in Kota Kinabalu. Nazri said the inclusion is a testament to growing recognition of muay thai's cultural value alongside its sporting merit. 'We will continue developing the sport and creating more platforms for young Sabahan athletes to shine,' he added.
Trade Arabia
20-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
RWS Global to open Middle East HQ in Riyadh
RWS Global, the world's leader in live moments across entertainment and sports, today announced its plans to open a headquarters in Riyadh, expanding the company's significant footprint in the Middle East. This expansion shows RWS Global's commitment to the region's continued investment in innovation across entertainment, tourism, leisure travel and sport. The RWS Global team has already forged partnerships with leading businesses in the region, currently working on some of the largest projects under development, a statement said. RWS Global, known for its work in sport presentation, destination design, world building and curating world-class entertainment experiences on land and at sea, has significant experience in the Middle East. Since 2022, the company has annually served as the successful producers of the Saudi Games, the largest national sporting event ever held in the kingdom. The company provided technology-driven fan engagement programmes to the competition across 52 categories. In addition, the RWS Global team delivered full sport presentation across 16 various martial arts and combat sports for the World Combat Games in Riyadh in 2023, hosting 1,500 elite athletes from over 120 countries and providing fan engagement for over 4,000 fans. RWS Global's extensive work in the region has also included the design of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, experiences for Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, sport presentation for SuperTri, the first sport event held in NEOM and the development of several other world-class entertainment venues. This milestone further solidifies the company's position as a global leader in fan engagement, immersive entertainment and experience design. 'After a decade of building incredible experiences in the Middle East, we are thrilled to expand the presence of RWS Global by opening a headquarters in the region,' said Ryan Stana, Chairman & CEO, RWS Global. 'As we develop our partnerships with some of the most exciting global companies operating in the Middle East, having a permanent presence in the market is paramount to our continued growth and allows us to be more available for our clients as we create magical experiences tailored to a wide range of visitors.' To support the expansion, RWS Global is hiring a VP, Business & Client Strategy, along with several additional team members local to the market, building on the strong foundation of its existing teams
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
RWS Global to open Middle East HQ in Riyadh
RWS Global, the world's leader in live moments across entertainment and sports, today announced its plans to open a headquarters in Riyadh, expanding the company's significant footprint in the Middle East. This expansion shows RWS Global's commitment to the region's continued investment in innovation across entertainment, tourism, leisure travel and sport. The RWS Global team has already forged partnerships with leading businesses in the region, currently working on some of the largest projects under development, a statement said. RWS Global, known for its work in sport presentation, destination design, world building and curating world-class entertainment experiences on land and at sea, has significant experience in the Middle East. Since 2022, the company has annually served as the successful producers of the Saudi Games, the largest national sporting event ever held in the kingdom. The company provided technology-driven fan engagement programmes to the competition across 52 categories. In addition, the RWS Global team delivered full sport presentation across 16 various martial arts and combat sports for the World Combat Games in Riyadh in 2023, hosting 1,500 elite athletes from over 120 countries and providing fan engagement for over 4,000 fans. RWS Global's extensive work in the region has also included the design of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, experiences for Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, sport presentation for SuperTri, the first sport event held in NEOM and the development of several other world-class entertainment venues. This milestone further solidifies the company's position as a global leader in fan engagement, immersive entertainment and experience design. 'After a decade of building incredible experiences in the Middle East, we are thrilled to expand the presence of RWS Global by opening a headquarters in the region,' said Ryan Stana, Chairman & CEO, RWS Global. 'As we develop our partnerships with some of the most exciting global companies operating in the Middle East, having a permanent presence in the market is paramount to our continued growth and allows us to be more available for our clients as we create magical experiences tailored to a wide range of visitors.' To support the expansion, RWS Global is hiring a VP, Business & Client Strategy, along with several additional team members local to the market, building on the strong foundation of its existing teams delivering destination design and live experience projects across the GCC states, the statement said. - Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RWS GLOBAL ANNOUNCES PLANS TO OPEN MIDDLE EAST HEADQUARTERS
World's Top Producer of Live Entertainment, Destination Design and SportPresentation, including the Saudi Games and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, ExpandsOperations in High-Growth Market NEW YORK, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RWS Global, the world's leader in live moments across entertainment and sports, today announced its plans to open a headquarters in Riyadh, expanding the company's significant footprint in the Middle East. This expansion shows RWS Global's commitment to the region's continued investment in innovation across entertainment, tourism, leisure travel and sport. The RWS Global team has already forged partnerships with leading businesses in the region, currently working on some of the largest projects under development. RWS Global, known for its work in sport presentation, destination design, world building and curating world-class entertainment experiences on land and at sea, has significant experience in the Middle East. Since 2022, the company has annually served as the successful producers of the Saudi Games, the largest national sporting event ever held in the Kingdom. The company provided technology-driven fan engagement programs to the competition across 52 categories. In addition, the RWS Global team delivered full sport presentation across 16 various martial arts and combat sports for the World Combat Games in Riyadh in 2023, hosting 1,500 elite athletes from over 120 countries and providing fan engagement for over 4,000 fans. RWS Global's extensive work in the region has also included the design of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, experiences for Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, sport presentation for SuperTri, the first sport event held in NEOM and the development of several other world-class entertainment venues. This milestone further solidifies the company's position as a global leader in fan engagement, immersive entertainment and experience design. "After a decade of building incredible experiences in the Middle East, we are thrilled to expand the presence of RWS Global by opening a headquarters in the region," said Ryan Stana, Chairman & CEO, RWS Global. "As we develop our partnerships with some of the most exciting global companies operating in the Middle East, having a permanent presence in the market is paramount to our continued growth and allows us to be more available for our clients as we create magical experiences tailored to a wide range of visitors." To support the expansion, RWS Global is hiring a VP, Business & Client Strategy, along with several additional team members local to the market, building on the strong foundation of its existing teams delivering destination design and live experience projects across the GCC states. Interested applicants can submit a cover letter and resume to hr@ RWS Global is exhibiting on the show floor at the Saudi Amusement Expo this week (Booth #4A 491). For more information, visit the booth or ABOUT RWS GLOBAL RWS Global is the world leader in groundbreaking live moments across entertainment and sports, creating customized guest experiences spanning theatrical productions, live events, immersive destinations, multimedia, consumer products and more. RWS Global is headquartered in New York, London, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Orlando and Sydney with dedicated RWS Studios in NYC and the UK to serve its vast talent pipeline and client base. With a focus on entertainment and sports experiences, RWS Global serves major brands and corporations, theaters, cruise lines, sports properties, live venues, parks, resorts and more. Offering end-to-end services from ideation to operations, RWS Global's team of world-class designers, creators, producers and visionary talent provide unrivaled scale, producing over one million live moments every day and employing over 8,000 individuals and performers worldwide. The RWS Global roster of clients includes Apple, Azamara, The Coca-Cola Company, Commonwealth Games, Crayola, Europa-Park Resort, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS™ Experience by Original X Productions, Hard Rock Resorts, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, Holland America Line, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, International Cricket Council, Invictus Games, Lionsgate, MSC Cruises, Roompot, Rugby World Cup, Six Flags, Space Center Houston, TUI Group, Vera Wang, Warner Bros., Disney's The Lion King on Broadway, Chicago the Musical, Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and more. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE RWS Global
Express Tribune
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Waseem new WBA bantamweight champ
"It was a dream that has come true and I can't thank my people enough for it," the newly crowned World Boxing Association World Gold Bantamweight champion Mohammad Waseem said in his hometown, Quetta which staged Pakistan's first professional boxing event. Waseem has been chasing not only another world title but also his ultimate dream to win it in front of his home crowd in Pakistan, to give them a taste of proper boxing bouts. The former three-time World Boxing Council Silver Flyweight Champion grabbed his title against Venezuela's Wiston Orono in front of a crowd of thousands. He knocked out Orono in the ninth round after a flurry of body shots, culminating in a final knockout punch. "I felt so good was also because this is my natural weight," Waseem admitted, while his previous world title bouts included International Boxing Federation fights against Sunny Edwards in 2022, and Moruti Mthalane in 2018 has been in the flyweight division. With his result, a decision given by judges who were in Pakistan from Germany, Spain, France, Venezuela, and Panama, Waseem registered his 10th knockout win of his professional career. "Orono was so good in the first three rounds, and he was just dominating, I felt," Waseem told this correspondent on Monday Morning, after soaking in the historic victory over the weekend. "My opponent was too good, but then I felt I started to get more ground in the fourth round, and by the sixth round, I could intuitively tell that he was wearing out. By the time I returned to my corner after the sixth round, my coach Danny Vaughn said that Orono looks like he wants to get out of the fight. So I capitalised on it. I was sure that he would not last beyond the ninth or tenth round with the way he was moving." The show went on despite the India-Pakistan conflict. The event took place, featuring boxers and officials from around 13 countries on Saturday night. The constant preparations for it began in January. "I'm feeling very good, I could not have done this without the help of DHA Quetta, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, has been very kind, and so was the Corps Commander for Quetta, Lieutenant General Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan. "The CM Balochistan sent his private jet to make sure that the boxers get to Quetta safely, on Friday, when there were news of war between India and Pakistan everywhere, our boxers were stuck in Dubai for two days and then they managed to land in Pakistan, but from Islamabad they were brought through private plane," he disclosed. The event saw eight bouts, including the WBA Asia South Super Lightweight title won by Tarik Zaina. Alex Dilmaghani won the WBA Asia Middle-East Lightweight title. Jesus Saracho won the bout for the WBA Asia Middle-East Welterweight title. Two women's boxing title bouts also took place. The 2010 World Combat Games gold medallist and the 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Waseem, feels that the challenges to hold the event did not deter him from giving his best in the ring. "I have had 300 amateur bouts and now in my professional career I have won my 14th fight, so I am used to facing difficulties and I don't get nervous or lose my focus," said the resilient pugilist who has seen it all from troubles with Pakistan Boxing Federation, to lack of sponsorships, bad managements, to constant visa issues in the past. 'It meant everything' The success of the event was more personal for Waseem. "I trained in Liverpool for two months, but the day I was leaving for my training, my wife gave birth to our daughter, and that was the hardest thing for me to be away from my newborn, but I had to train," he explained. "I got to experience my daughter for the first time since her birth on May 3, when I returned to Pakistan. "Boxing can be so lonely. But I am glad I won this world title, and I feel my daughter is very lucky for me. My wife and kids couldn't be there because of the complete airspace shutdown. But my parents, my siblings, and my relatives saw me win the world title at home, among my people of Quetta, Balochistan, and that felt like a dream." He thanked American matchmaker Roberto A Diaz and Chris Glover, who helped bring the international event to Pakistan.
