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SPORTS

From pianist to

warrior Angie Yan Jia Chi. – @IFMA/Facebook

Angie brings glory to Malaysia on Muay Thai global stage

back competitions. “I couldn’t stop training even though my body really needed the break. Physically, the challenge is dealing with training, injuries, soreness and muscle pain, especially during intense training periods. “Mentally, it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated. I try to push myself to perform at my best every time and often find myself comparing my progress to others. There are days when I’m tired, doubting myself, or feeling like I’m not improving fast enough,” she said, adding that she began training in Thailand in 2023. “In the future, I plan to keep improving and compete at an even higher level of competition and bring my country’s name as well as Sabah to the world stage.”

Y AN JIA CHI, better known as Angie, has become a precious gem for Malaysia on the Muay Thai global stage after earning multiple gold medals and international honours. Angie, 21, a sumandak (young girl in Kadazandusun language), is a three-time gold medallist in the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (Ifma) Senior World Championship U-23 division, winning in 2023 (Thailand), 2024 (Greece) and 2025 (Turkiye). Formerly a pianist, the young lass, who developed an interest in Muay Thai seven years ago, also bagged a gold medal in the female Wai Kru solo category at the Ifma Asian Championships in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam this year. Angie, born in Johor to a Sabahan mother and a Johorean father, has represented Malaysia in showcasing the sport during the 2024 Paris Olympics, contributing to global promotion efforts. She also made her mark in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) where in 2022 in Kuala Lumpur she won gold, marking a historic win as this was the first time the event was included in the Games, and she also won gold in the Sukma last year in Sarawak. Sharing with Bernama , Angie recalled her THE Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPM) is expected to field more backup athletes to carry the national challenge at the 2025 Asean Para Games (APG) in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, from Jan 20-26 next year. MPM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said the move is to ensure the grooming of future stars while pre paring athletes for the 2027 APG in Malaysia and the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles (LA28). “Preparations (for APG) are already in place, and the national para sports associations are ready. At the moment, we are focusing on iden tifying the winning teams and athletes who will CLUB WORLD CUP (quarterfinals) Paris Saint-Germain 2 (Doue 78, Dembele 90+6) Bayern Munich 0, Real Madrid 3 (Gonzalo Garcia 10, Fran Garcia 20, Mbappe 90+4) Borussia Dortmund 2 (Beier 90+3, Guirassy 90+8-pen) . RESULTS Sukma ’26 preparations reaches halfway mark: Exco SELANGOR’S preparations for hosting the 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) have reached 50% mark, involving upgrading and refurbishment of existing sports facilities. State Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi said the state is targeting March 2026 as the final deadline to wrap up preparations, and all facilities must be pitch-perfect for use by contingents in the national games. “Among the sports facilities being upgraded are stadiums, halls and aquatic centres in districts and under local authorities (PBT). “I was informed that efforts are being doubled up to speed up the repair and upgrade process to ensure all facilities will be good and safe for use,” he said yesterday. Mohd Najwan was previously reported to have said that among the venues involved in the upgrading process for the Sukma 2026 include the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre in Shah Alam, Subang Shooting Range and the Pandamaran Hockey Stadium in Klang, with a BRIEFS

first encounter with Muay Thai occurred when she accompanied and watched

her friend training at a gym in Kota Kinabalu, where she found the sport fascinating. “At first, I was actually a pianist. I spent years learning and practising piano until one day I followed my friend. I didn’t train, just sat and watched, but when I saw how interesting it was, I decided to try my first class in Muay Thai,” she said, adding that she truly enjoyed it and wanted to improve. “That’s how my journey began. From then on, I just kept going. Right now at university, I follow a simple routine – go to class and train in the afternoon,” said Angie, who is currently continuing her studies at Tourism and Recreation University in Thailand. The oldest of three siblings, born in Johor but raised in Sabah, Angie explained that when preparing for tournaments, she trains around four to six hours daily in two sessions – morning and evening. While studying, however, she trains only in the afternoon after classes for two and a half hours. Reflecting on her journey as a fighter, Angie

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shared a bitter memory from 2023 when both her knees were badly injured and swollen for an extended period and despite needing rest, she couldn’t recover properly due to back-to

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MPM expected to field more backup athletes

Empowerment Workshop, officiated by NSC Deputy Director-General (Management) Arrifin Mohd Ghani, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Meanwhile, Arrifin expressed confidence that the three-day workshop, which began last Friday, would help empower and strengthen the governance of national para sports associations. With good governance, he said, these associations could indirectly help develop capable athletes who can carry on the legacy of national para sports icons such as Datuk Abdul Latif Romly (athletics), Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (powerlifting), and Cheah Liek Hou (badminton). – Bernama

be sent.

“The National Sports Council (NSC) also wants us to narrow the gap (with other countries) and to introduce new athletes. Insyaallah , this will be the future for APG 2027 and LA28,” he said. Megat D Shahriman was speaking to reporters after the closing ceremony of Phase 2 of the National Para Sports Associations

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RM240,504.62

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Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman. – BERNAMAPIC

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total cost of hosting the biennial games estimated at RM200 million. Figueiredo to boost JDT upfront JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM (JDT) may have won the Super League 11 consecutive times, but that doesn’t mean they are about to rest on their laurels. And the Southern Tigers have wasted no time in strengthening their squad by adding new national heritage player Joao Figueiredo to their ranks as they set their sights on conquering everything in front of them in the coming season. The signing, announced via the club’s official social media platforms yesterday, also stated that the Brazilian-born forward will don the No. 25 jersey. “Joao Figueiredo brings his commitment and determination to Johor Darul Ta’zim FC. Joao Figueiredo makes Johor home with a move to the Southern Tigers,” the club added. Figueiredo joins JDT from Istanbul Basaksehir, where he grabbed seven goals and two assists in the Turkish Super League last season. The 29-year-old announced his arrival in style when he scored the opening goal en route to helping the Harimau Malaya to a 4-0 win

over Vietnam in second 2027 Asian Cup Group F qualifying match at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 10. With Figueiredo joining their ranks, JDT now have three heritage players to spearhead their Super League challenge, with the other two being Dutch-Malaysian midfielder Hector Hevel and Spanish-Malaysian centreback Jon Irazabal. Ex-Penang keeper Firos dies FORMER Penang goalkeeper Firos Mohamed died after collapsing during a match for the Dr Zambry Abd Kadir Cup at the Manjung Municipal Council Stadium on Saturday night. Penang FC confirmed the news in a statement posted on its official social media page. “The Penang FC board of directors and its entire staff extend their heartfelt condolences to the family of former Penang goalkeeper Firos Mohamed, who has returned to the Rahmatullah . “May Allah S.W.T. shower His blessings upon him and place him among the righteous. To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return,” read the statement. Earlier, several videos showing Firos collapsing while playing for his team against Kedah went viral on social media.

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