Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak declared the SEA Games closed in a colourful ceremony at the national stadium in Kuala Lumpur. 100,000 people filled the national Stadium and declared a national holiday in honour of the outstanding result through the unwavering support of the various races and the excellent performances of the Malaysian athletes.
Muaythai or ‘Muay’ as it is known in South East Asia was one of the last sports and was one of the most outstanding in the event with Thailand winning two gold medals, Malaysia two and Cambodia one.
The Malaysian athletes had the support of the entire nation, especially when Mohd Ali Bin won gold against Thai superstar Surachai and Ain Bin defeated Tachtana the current IFMA world champion. Ain dedicated the bout to his father who passed away only 2 days prior to the competition and he received a standing ovation from both spectators and VIP’s alike.
After the final bout the special awards were given out
SEA Games Best Boxer
-Aneung 71kg Thailand
Most Promising Team
– muaythai association of the philippines
High Potential Boxer
– lee Dee Jun Damian (Singapore)
Best Rookie Team
– kun khmer federation (Cambodia)
Most Improved Team
– Muayloa national Federation (Laos)
Fair Play
– pengurus besar muaythai indonesia (Indonesia)
Most Promising Boxer
– Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat (Vietnam)
The official SEA Games flag was given to the Philippines and in 2019 the Nak Muays from all of South East Asia will gather in the Philippines and the Philippine Muaythai Association are now in full excitement to welcome the South East Asian family.
