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Sinar Daily
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Sinar Daily
From pianist to warrior: Angie brings glory to Malaysia on Muay Thai global stage
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. 12 Jul 2025 06:00pm Angie 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 (Türkiye). - Photo source: Muaythai Malaysia 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 (Türkiye). Angie's first competition was the Karnival Pelapis Kebangsaan Sukan Muaythai meet in Kuala Lumpur in 2019. - Photo source: Muaythai Malaysia 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
Al Etihad
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
National Muay Thai Team secures 16 medals, tops men's category at Asian Championship
27 June 2025 14:34 HANOI (WAM) The National Muay Thai Team has achieved an outstanding total of 16 medals and clinched first place in the men's category at the Asian Muay Thai Championship, held over six days in Hanoi, tournament was organised under the supervision of the International and Asian Muay Thai UAE athletes delivered heroic performances, earning eight gold medals through Mohammed Mardi, Zainab Bou Hmoudah, Mohammed Jafla, Ayoub Al Barnoussi, Rafi Ramzi, Mohammed Karimi, Imad Youssef, and the team of Salama Al Junaibi and Mariam Hassan in the Mai Muay team four silver medals were won by Ilyaas Habib Ali, Abdul Sattar Ahmed, Yassine Karimi, and Salama Al Junaibi (Wai Kru event).Bronze medals were awarded to Ibrahim Bilal, Mariam Hassan (Wai Kru), Mohammed Touizi and Abdul Sattar Ahmed (Mai Muay), and the duo of Mohammed and Yassine Karimi (Mai Muay team event).At the closing ceremony, the UAE team was honoured with the Best Continental Team Award, a reflection of their outstanding performances and dominance in the men's category. They also secured second place overall, just behind host nation fighter Mohammed Jafla was named Best Young Fighter in Asia, showcasing his exceptional level throughout the UAE has now become the first Arab nation to achieve such a medal tally and top the men's category at the Asian Championships—highlighting the nation's rapid rise in Muay Thai on both continental and global stages since the establishment of the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation in Saeed Al Neyadi, President of the Asian and Arab Muay Thai Federations and Chairman of the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation, stated, "We are proud of the professionalism and discipline shown by our athletes. These results are a testament to early planning and meticulous preparation, which directly influenced our success at this prestigious event. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire federation family—technical staff, administrators, and athletes—for their commitment and excellence.' He added, "This is a moment of national pride, and a new milestone in the growing success of Muay Thai and Kickboxing as we strive for further leadership in global sports.'
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
5 golds: State strikes & sweeps 35 medals at National Muaythai C'ship
Raipur: Chhattisgarh achieved remarkable success at the 6th UMAI National Muaythai Championship in Rohtak, Haryana, securing a total of 35 medals. The contingent won 5 gold, 16 silver, and 14 bronze medals in the competition held from June 9 to 14. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The gold medal winners for Chhattisgarh included Aarvi from Bastar, Bhargavi Uikey and Praveen Krishna Jaiswal from Raipur, Yuvraj from Bastar, and Tikeshwari from Dantewada. The championship, organised by the Haryana Sports Muaythai Association (HSMA) under the aegis of the United Muaythai Association India (UMAI), took place in Rohtak. Approximately 1,150 athletes and officials from 29 states participated in the event. On the final day of the competition, Raipur's Bhargavi defeated a Rajasthan opponent to clinch the second gold for Chhattisgarh. Praveen secured the third gold by beating an Assam opponent in the final. Yuvraj from Jagdalpur, Bastar, won Chhattisgarh's fourth gold medal, becoming a six-time national champion after knocking out his Bihar opponent in the final. He also achieved double success by winning a bronze medal in the Wai Kru event. The fifth and final gold medal for Chhattisgarh was won by Tikeshwari Sahu, who is serving as a coach in the Dantewada sports department, in the Wai Kru event, where she triumphed over a Meghalaya athlete. Notably, Tikeshwari recently won a bronze medal for India at the World Muaythai Championship held in Turkey from May 23 to June 1. Sixteen Chhattisgarh players narrowly missed gold in their final bouts, securing silver medals and significantly increasing the state's medal tally. Additionally, 14 Chhattisgarh players reached the semi-finals but could not advance to the finals, contributing bronze medals to reach the total count of 35.
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh shines at National Muaythai Championship, wins 35 medals including 5 gold
Gold medallists Bhargavi Uikey and Praveen Krishna Jaiswal. RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh achieved remarkable success at the 6th UMAI National Muaythai Championship held in Rohtak, Haryana, securing a total of 35 medals. The team won 5 gold, 16 silver, and 14 bronze medals in the competition, which took place from 9 to 14 June. The gold medal winners from Chhattisgarh included Aarvi from Bastar, Bhargavi Uikey and Praveen Krishna Jaiswal from Raipur, Yuvraj from Bastar, and Tikeshwari from Dantewada. The championship was organised by the Haryana Sports Muaythai Association (HSMA) under the aegis of the United Muaythai Association India (UMAI). Around 1,150 athletes and officials from 29 states took part in the event. On the final day of the competition, Raipur's Bhargavi defeated an opponent from Rajasthan to secure the second gold for Chhattisgarh. Praveen won the third gold after beating an athlete from Assam in the final. Yuvraj, from Jagdalpur in Bastar, earned Chhattisgarh's fourth gold medal by knocking out his opponent from Bihar. With this win, he became a six-time national champion. He also won a bronze medal in the Wai Kru event, achieving double success. The fifth and final gold medal for Chhattisgarh was won by Tikeshwari Sahu, who works as a coach with the Dantewada sports department. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025: Steel Suppliers From Mexico At Lowest Prices (Take A Look) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo She won in the Wai Kru event, defeating an athlete from Meghalaya. Notably, Tikeshwari had recently won a bronze medal for India at the World Muaythai Championship held in Turkey from 23 May to 1 June. Sixteen players from Chhattisgarh narrowly missed gold in their final matches, earning silver medals and significantly boosting the state's medal tally. Additionally, 14 players reached the semi-finals but did not progress to the finals, contributing bronze medals, bringing the total to 35 medals. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Star
02-06-2025
- 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.
