Catch Borneo Cup Muaythai C’ships in Bintulu this weekend

B IN T U LU: T he hi g h lyanticipated Borneo Cup Muaythai Championships return this year, taking place at Naim StreetMall / Naim Bintulu Paragon today and tomorrow (Oct 14-15).

The fourth edition of the tournament is organised by Bintulu Development Authority ( BDA), in collaboration with Sarawak Muaythai Association ( PMNS) and several relevant agencies.

The Borneo Cup was established in 2015 through a memorandum of under s t and i ng ( MOU) between PMNS, Sabah Muaythai Association, Labuan Tomoi Association and West Kalimantan Muaythai Association.

This division was the first hosting venue, followed by Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Lundu in Sarawak, respectively.

“This year, there are two invitational events – the ‘Borneo Invitational’ where challengers from Malacca and Kelantan are up against the exponents from Sarawak; whi le in the ‘ International Invitational, our Sarawak fighters are slugging it out with their opponents from Thailand,” said BDA general manager Rodziah Morshidi in a statement.

This year’s tournament is headlined by the Super 4 Borneo bouts, involving f ighters in the Men’s 63kg, Men’s 68kg and Women’s 45kg categories.

Another interesting segment is the Superfight Youth series, involving young exponents in Men’s 40kg and Men’s 44kg categories.

“This is our ( BDA’s) fourth year in organising the championships together with PMNS, but it is the first time that we engage Naim Group dan Sarawak Bumiputera Small Traders and Vendors Association ( PKBS).

“Apart from being a platform for our muaythai athletes to test their skills and strength, the event also opens opportunities to local traders to generate extra income.

“The competition is also part of BDA’s efforts in making Bintulu a vibrant, prosperous and exciting town,” added Rodziah.

The event is also hosting various activities such as basic muaythai coaching and game plan courses, a ‘Let’s Try Muaythai’ programme run in conjunction with the National Sports Day 2017, a number of programmes jointly conducted by Sarawak Youth and Sports Department, tryout sessions for the upcoming Sarawak Games (SukSar) 2017 Northern Zone to be facilitated by Bintulu Resident’s Office, mass Zumba sessions, as well as a children’s artwork contest.