UAE's Muay Thai star Ilyass Habibali targets gold at IFMA Asian Championship

Abu Dhabi hosts tournament with some of the best fighters in the world competing

UAE Muay Thai fighter Ilyass Habibali, left. Courtesy: UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation

Having taken the Muay Thai world by storm, UAE’s Ilyass Habibali is confident of

striking gold at the IFMA Asian Championship that gets under way in Abu Dhabi today.

Habibali stunned the world by winning a gold medal when the UAE made its debut at the World Championship in Mexico in 2018. He followed it up with a bronze at the Asian Championship in Macau last year.

“To fight for a medal in front of my home fans is the biggest motivation I can think of,” Habibali said of the five-day continental championship being staged in the UAE for the first time. “We had a good six-week workout and I feel me and my teammates are ready to go for the medals. The Asian Championship is very tough, with Thailand among the best in the world, but we are ready for the challenge.

“The sport has been practiced in the UAE for a long time even though our federation was formed in 2017.

“To win a gold in our first appearance in the Worlds was a remarkable achievement not only for me but for the country as well.

“Not only that, we are now hosting the Asian Championship. It means we have already made our mark in the Muay Thai world.”

The Asian Championship has drawn 301 fighters from 26 countries in the youth, men and women categories. Yasir Salem Al Saadi, vice president of the UAE Muay Thai and Kick-boxing Federation, is confident the host nation will win at least two gold medals.

“We have entered seven in the open division and 13 in the age group, including one female – Noura Khalil in the 57kg 16-17 age category,” he said.

“Here we have got the best fighters from the continent and Thailand, as the birthplace of the martial art, will be among the favourites.

“However, our fighters have shown that they can be in the medal rounds as they did at both the World Championship and Asian Championship. We are hopeful.”

Stephan Fox, general secretary of the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA), said the UAE created a huge impact at

the 2018 World Championship

which helped the organising body when choosing the host city for this year’s Asian tournament.

“They are now one of the front-runners to host the World Championship and that will

be decided after the conclusion of the Asian Championship,” Fox said of the UAE.

“The UAE has made a huge impact since the federation was founded two years ago,

and this championship is

important for them for so many reasons.

“First of all, to showcase Abu Dhabi as a beautiful city and then to showcase they have immense talent as competitors.

“It’s not an easy task to win against the best fighters, especially from Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Iran, who have arrived with the biggest contingent of fighters with 30 men and an equal number of female fighters.

“There is a lot at stake aside from winning medals at the Asian Championship. The points they earn gets accumulated for them to qualify for both the 2021 World Games and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.”