TAIPING: Moroccan Muay Thai boxer Mohamed Amine Tijani lived up to his prediction when he clinched a technical knockout (TKO) victory over Malaysian representative Mohamad Abid Kamil in the 62 kilogramme (kg) professional category at the Malaysia International Muay Championship 2026 (MIMAC 3.0) at Dataran Warisan here, last night.
The victory saw Mohamed Amine garnered the belt sponsored by Deputy Minister of Education and Taiping Member of Parliament Wong Kah Woh in a fight dominated by the athlete before it was stopped by the referee following an injury to Mohamad Abid in the second round.
In another professional fight in the under-47kg category, national female boxer Bellatrix Dhea emerged champion after defeating Thai representative Seang Daw in a three-round fight.
The victory allowed Bellatrix, who hails from Selangor, to clinch the Sang Saka Biru belt of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) after displaying energetic and consistent action throughout the three rounds of the fight.
Both matches were witnessed by Wong along with about 500 fans from the local community, representatives of local and international Muay Thai associations and clubs.
Wong in his opening speech said the participation of more than 300 local and foreign athletes proved that MIMAC 3.0 was increasingly gaining attention from many parties as well as becoming a competitive platform for local and foreign boxers to compete.
He said the tournament indirectly had a positive impact on the development of the country’s Muay Thai sport, especially in producing more young athletes of calibre.
“With the support received, we are committed to continuing to organise MIMAC as an annual event so that it continues to grow and become one of the main combat sports tournaments in the country.
“The organisation will not only benefit the sports community, but will also stimulate local economic activities, especially for small traders in the surrounding areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perak Tomoi Association president Mohd Ezry Azamin Abdul Wahab said his party did not set any targets because the main focus was to provide exposure to young athletes to experience the real action of the tournament.
“Exposure on a stage like this is very important because it helps build the confidence, discipline and mental strength of young athletes before they move on to higher levels,” he said.
— BERNAMA
