KUCHING: Phoenix Meranek Muay Thai Gym made a strong impression at the Rentap Fighting Championship (RFC) at the Stadium Perpaduan, Petra Jaya, on Jan 17. Club coach Roslan Johani celebrated the club’s successful start, with five fighters competing and four winning their matches.
Despite many of the fighters being newcomers, he expressed his pride towards the club’s strong performances.
“We came with five fighters, for the first day, we had five amateur competitors. Alhamdulillah, four of them won their matches.
“We are definitely seeing a lot of growth, and I am proud of how far the sport has come,” Roslan told Sarawak Tribune today (Jan 17).
The championship also featured semi-pro and pro bouts, including Hasbullah’s WBC National Champion title fight. Hasbullah, one of Phoenix Meranek’s talents, trained with Discover Muaythai Academy for four months.
“Overall, the stadium serves as a great venue and a huge opportunity to promote muaythai in Sarawak,” he said.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Meranek’s rising star Muhammad Rais Hadif Rahmat, who scored an impressive knockout, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete in the tournament.
“I hope I will be given the opportunity to fight again next year,” he said.
The 16-year-old, who started muaythai at 14, sees his knockout victory as a step toward further improvement.
On the other end, Muhammad Rais has already begun planning for future events, starting with February.
When asked about his role models, he named Hasbullah, saying, “Hasbullah is my favourite. I look up to his style and work ethic.”
The eldest of three siblings from Kampung Jaie in Kota Samarahan, Muhammad Rais is motivated by his humble roots.
