Angie Yan Jia Chi defeats Thai world champion Thanawan Thongduang to win the muay thai Wai Kru gold medal at the SEA Games in Bangkok.
BANGKOK: SEA Games debutant Angie Yan Jia Chi created a sensation by winning the muay thai Wai Kru gold medal at the 33rd edition of the Games.
The Malaysian three-time IFMA world champion produced an outstanding performance to overcome Thai world champion Thanawan Thongduang at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Angie’s clean and structured performance earned her 9.33 points to pip Thanawan, who accumulated 9.20 points in the final.
Both exponents train under the same coach in Thailand.
The 21-year-old said she was extremely happy and proud that all her hard work during training in Thailand paid off.
“During my preparations here, I never returned home for a year,” said Angie, a student at Thailand National Sports University.
“I am super relieved that it’s all over. I can’t wait to go home to my family and spend time with them.”
Angie shared that her preparation suffered a setback when she injured both her knees in 2023.
She said she had to rely on painkillers to endure tough training sessions due to a hectic schedule.
Angie’s success marks the national muay thai camp’s first gold medal in this edition of the SEA Games.
The ‘Sumandak’ developed an interest in muay thai about seven years ago.
She also won gold in the women’s Wai Kru solo category at the IFMA Asian Championships in Vietnam earlier this year.
Angie, born in Johor, has represented Malaysia in showcasing the sport during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She also won gold when the sport debuted at the 2022 Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Kuala Lumpur.
Wai Kru is a traditional pre-bout ritual in muay thai that symbolises respect, discipline and sportsmanship. – Bernama
