The country’s Muay Thai Teen Bagsik national team has overcome challenges as it began its campaign with two gold and a silver medal in the IFMA Youth World Championships 2022 being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The duo of Jan Brix Ramiscal and Keith Margaret Balinas topped the mixed doubles in the mae mai finals.
Cordillerans Edel Ali Ngina and Clark Fattit also clinched a gold medal in the male 14 to 15 open division of the event that drew top Muay Thai youth athletes around the world.
The pair of Johnden Aldana, Jr. and Alyssa Kylie Mallari, meanwhile, settled for silver in the mixed doubles category.
Fattit and Balinas are also competing for the semifinals of the 14-15 male under 40-kilogram and 12 to 13 years old under 38-kg., respectively, as of press time.
Ngina also started his campaign in the combat side of the tournament with a rousing second-round knockout of his Malaysian opponent.
Mara Luz Dagame is scheduled in the finals against Lada Zhokhova of IFMA1-1 in the junior 10 to 11 under-30kg.
Scheduled for finals match in the combat side on Aug. 20 are Jasmin Da-game against Mary Christine Wriang of India in the junior 14 to 15 under 38-kg., Fattit against a still undisclosed opponent in the junior 14 to 15 under 40-kg., and Jan Brix Ramiscal versus IFMA’s Artem Obidin in the junior 12 to 13 under 42-kg.
The annual pinnacle IFMA event for youth athletes also includes cultural exchange and social meetings. This year’s Youth World Championships includes all weight categories of the youth divisions in the combat discipline, as well as in indivi-dual and mixed team events for the waikru and mai muay disciplines. – Harley F. Palangchao
