Young muay thai fighters punch above weight with golden show

National muay thai athlete Mikail Ghazali (blue) in action against Thailand’s Suphakon Sirilun in the men’s featherweight 57kg final event during the 33rd SEA Games at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok yesterday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

BANGKOK: For a non-core sport, Malaysia’s muay thai fighters stood tall on the SEA Games stage.

Despite facing a raucous home crowd that booed them throughout their bouts, the exponents rose above the pressure to script their best-ever SEA Games outing.