Rentap muaythai trio ready for Phuket
We are hoping they will all finish on the podium in their respective categories and do Sarawak and Malaysia proud.
Jennana Johnson
KUCHING: Three young muaythai fighters from Rentap Muaythai Gym, Kuching will be gunning for top honours at the IFMA Youth & Senior Championships in Phuket, Thailand in December this year.
The trio are Texas Jeremy Lo, Muhammad Mikail Ghazali Zulfikar and his brother Muhammad Johan Ghazali Zulfikar and they will be accompanied by the gym’s head coach Karadech Seesombat ‘Addy’ from Thailand.
Texas has been entered for Category B (12-13 years old, 4446kg) while Mikail will fight in Category B (12-13 years old, 3436kg) and Johan in the 14-15 years old, 54-57kg Category.
Johan is no stranger to muaythai competitions in Thailand as he had won bronze medals at the IFMA Bangkok in 2017 and 2018.
The 15-year-old won the gold medal at the IFMA Asian Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019 and threetime national champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The fighter with a career record of 17 wins and six defeats will be flying to Phuket on a Persatuan Muaythai Malaysia ticket.
National champion in 2016 and 2019 and silver medallist in 2017 and 2018, Mikail, 12, will be out to capture more silverware as he competes for the third time in Thailand a er competitions at Pa aya Stadium, Pa aya in 2018 and 2019.
As for Texas, it will be a debut appearance for the national champion 2019 in IFMA Youth Championship and the 13-yearold will definitely be going out to gain international exposure.
Rentap Muaythai Gym coowner Jennana Johnson, when contacted, expressed optimism that the three boys would do well in Phuket.
“We are hoping they will all finish on the podium in their respective categories and do Sarawak and Malaysia proud.
“They have trained very hard under one of the best coaches Addy but unfortunately due to MCO (Movement Control Order) restrictions, they are now limited to home training.
“We are appealing to the State government and Youth and Sports Department to allow us to open our gym for training,” she added.
The gym will be organising fundraising activities over the next few months to help raise money to send Mikail, Texas and the coach to the IFMA championships.