The Malaysian Muaythai Federation has signed an agreement with the World Wildlife Fund for the upcoming IFMA 2014 World Championships.
In a world facing constant change, environmental awareness and measures to protect the earth and its resources are of ever increasing importance. IFMA is committed to sustainable sport, and to using its international events as platforms for sustainable management and also awareness-raising measures.
Over the last decade, IFMA has taken steps towards hosting sustainable sport events. This includes infrastructure planning to use existing, centrally located venues and hotels, to minimise the ecological and carbon footprint, as well as commuting times. IFMA strives to ensure its events are accessible for all. IFMA seeks to ensure it provides healthy and nutritious food to its athletes and event participants as well as seeking to reduce wastage.
Every event location is unique and different, and IFMA takes this into consideration. Not only does IFMA give back to the community, donating sports equipment from its events to the Local Organizing Committee and its partners, IFMA also seeks to use the locations of its events to raise environmental awareness.
The 2014 World Championship will be held on one of the world’s most beautiful islands: Langkawi, Malaysia. This island teeming with tropical fauna and flora is the perfect place to raise awareness about island eco-systems, and how responsible tourism is necessary to preserve these delicate natural environments.
A special project is also underway, in partnership with the WWF to advocate saving and protecting the orangutan, the only species of great ape in Asia, which is indigenous only to Malaysia and Indonesia. They spend most of their times in trees, where they build leafy nests, and mostly eat the fruits and leaves of rainforest trees. Because their natural habitat is limited to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, and because they depend on trees, they are vulnerable to logging. Deforestation and human activities have made the orangutan an endangered species.
Many events have been planned to raise environmental awareness for the 2014 World Championships. One of them was a country-wide competition for Malaysia children aged 3–8, to design a logo for the World Championships around the topic given. The cute and playful orangutan inspired many great designs.
IFMA was proud to unveil the official logo for the 2014 World Championships, which depicts the orangutan as the official mascot for the event.
During the event, family activities have been planned around the island, with a special contest centred on environmental protection.
Come learn with us in Malaysia, from the 1st-10th of May, 2014!
