Rabiatul packs a punch

On the right track: Rabiatul Adawiyah Mohd Yunus (left) is in contention for a place in the national squad’s preparations for the 2027 SEA Games in Sarawak.

Sukma champion lands world gold to boost SEA Games hopes

KUALA LUMPUR: From Sukma gold to world glory, Rabiatul Adawiyah Mohd Yunus is quickly making a name for herself on the international stage.

Barely a month after helping Perak to gold at the Malaysia Games (Sukma), Rabiatul continued her golden run by winning the women’s Under-24 48kg title at the IFMA Senior World Muay Championships in Kosovo.

The victory puts Rabiatul in contention for a place in the national squad’s preparations for the 2027 SEA Games in Sarawak, where muay thai will be contested.

There were also more cheers with Marshall Jaydden winning the gold medal in the men’s Wai Kru discipline in Kosovo.

The victory added to Marshall’s growing international record following his success at the IFMA World Invitational Muay Thai Championships in Kuala Lumpur recently.

In the men’s 54kg Ring Combat category, 2025 Thailand SEA Games gold medallist Wassof Rumijam took silver after losing to Turkiye’s world champion Hamza Eren in the final.

Nur Arisya Sofea, drafted in to replace Mia Ghazali, who did not meet the age requirement for the world meet, also showed plenty of promise.

Arisya took silver in the women’s 45kg Ring Combat category after losing to Vietnam’s world champion Mai Hoang Khanh before adding gold in the Technical Muaythai (Tatami) discipline, where she defeated India’s Ayushree Banerjee.

National head coach Bernard Radin expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the 10 Malaysian athletes brought to Kosovo.

“This championship is not merely about chasing medals, it serves as part of the evaluation and talent-scouting process to identify the best athletes across weight categories and build a more competitive squad for the 2027 SEA Games,” said Bernard.

“However, mental strength remains a crucial area requiring attention. National athletes need to possess greater confidence when facing opponents with world champion reputations.

“Preparations for the 2027 SEA Games will focus not only on physical and technical aspects but also on mental resilience, confidence, and the ability to handle pressure on the international stage.”