D’Sha Fitness and Gym dominate Muaythai c’ship
KOTA KINABALU: D’Sha Fitness and Gym put up a determined display to clinch the overall title at the Sabah Youth Muaythai Championship which ended at the Sabah Muaythai Camp in Papar over the weekend.
The Tawau-based team was involved in a tight contest in the three-day tournament before prevailing against 14 other teams with four gold, five silver and three bronze medals.
The fact that the next five teams achieved only three gold medals just goes to show how tough the tournament was.
Karabaw Papar finished second with three gold, six silver and two bronze medals, followed by the Kinabalu Rings of Tambunan with three gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
The other teams with similar gold counts were 66 Unicorn of Sandakan (3g, 1s, 2b), Borneo Phoenix of Putatan (3g, 1s, 1b) and Karabaw Tamparuli (3g).
The other gold medals offered were won by the Black Mamba Gym of Kota Kinabalu, Karabaw Keningau and Revolution Gym of Kota Kinabalu with two each as well as Karabaw Kota Kinabalu, BRL Penampang and Muaythai Kenyalang of Kuching, Sarawak with one each.
Sabah Muaythai Association president Ir Hj Nazri bin Hj Ab Razak said around 90 exponents aged between 10 to 21 from various districts as well as clubs from Kuching and Miri took part in the championship.
He said among the objectives were to further enhance the preparation of Sabah’s Malaysia Games (Sukma) athletes.
It was also to keep their momentum and improved their stamina as they train under the association’s three-phase training programme.
“A closed tournament for Phase II will be held in February 2018 for our Sukma project athletes,” he said in a statement to the press yesterday.
Meanwhile, Nazri said the Sabah Muaythai Camp centre in Papar was established with the aims of unearthing more talents as well as to be the centralised training centre for state athletes before they take part in tournaments within and outside of the country.
Papar member of parliament Datuk Hjh Rosnah Hj Abdul Rashid Shirlin, who is also Deputy Works Minister, officially opened the centre during the tournament’s opening ceremony.
Rosnah also presented contribution to the association for the camp’s development purposes.
Towards this end, Nazri also extended his gratitude to the Youth and Sports Ministry and Sabah Sports Council for the support given in the development of Muaythai in Sabah, which enabled them to produce world champions and compete at international class tournaments in 2017.