New body Singapore Muaythai Association aims to raise standards

SINGAPORE – Hit by turmoil and negative publicity in recent years, Singapore Muaythai has received a new lease of life in 2025, with a new national governing body in place for the sport.

In June, the Singapore Muaythai Association (SMA) was officially recognised by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) as the governing body here.

SMA president Mike Tang said that work to start the association began in late 2023, as he was motivated by the “disorganised state of muaythai in Singapore and the need for proper governance”.

The new governing body takes over from the Singapore Muaythai Federation (SMF), which had been hit by a spate of complaints in recent years.

In 2022, the Safe Sport Commission investigated separate complaints from two athletes against then national coach and team manager Robert Yap.

One athlete alleged that she was unfairly dropped from the national team and the SEA Games in Hanoi, and that the subsequent appeal process against her exclusion was conducted in an unsafe manner by the SMF.

Another former national athlete alleged improper and abusive conduct from Yap between 2014 and 2017.

Those allegations came on the back of four Singaporean muaythai exponents being informed at the 11th hour that a trip to compete in the IFMA Senior World Championships in Abu Dhabi was cancelled.

The athletes said at the time that the then national coach had attributed the cancellation to “a sponsor pulling out as the team could not guarantee a medal”.

It led to athletes calling for greater transparency from the SMF. The association’s membership and affiliation with the IMFA was eventually terminated in May.

Tang, the founding director of financial services firm Aspire Alliance, believes the SMA can help develop the sport here.

The 47-year-old first picked up muaythai in 2018 at a local gym and it was while attending local tournaments that he developed an interest in understanding how the sport was run in Singapore.

He said: “Those that I spoke to shared with me the various challenges in the scene and that it was in disarray.

“It seemed that a lot of athletes were lacking in opportunities and there was a need for change, but nobody was stepping forward. Muaythai is a very popular sport... so I was thinking that, how come a sport this popular was not even properly governed.”

In late 2023, Tang and a friend Chris Wong – now the SMA secretary-general – went to a competition in Thailand, where they were introduced to IFMA secretary-general Stephan Fox, who told them that SMF was on the verge of being suspended by the international body.

Tang said: “That sparked everything. We came back, spoke to a few people and decided that we want to revive the scene in Singapore.

“We had a lot of support from IFMA because there was actually an urgent need for a refreshed structure and a transparent body.”

After several meetings with the IFMA, the duo contacted members of the local community to put together a team who could take the sport forward.

Tang said that the first step is to look to “raise the overall standard of the sport” in Singapore by understanding its struggles. He has already identified a lack of officially sanctioned competition for athletes and he is working to stage more regular events throughout the year.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Sport Singapore (SportSG) spokesperson said that all national sports associations must be officially recognised by their respective international federations to be the national governing body for their sport.

“SMA has committed to developing the sport in Singapore and preparing athletes for the upcoming SEA Games in December this year,” said the SportSG spokesperson.

“SportSG will continue to extend the necessary support to SMA. This includes ensuring that our Team Singapore athletes continue to be supported on their training and competition needs.”

It is not known why SMF’s membership and affiliation with IFMA were terminated. ST has contacted IFMA and SMF for comment. 

With a fresh leadership in muaythai here, the national athletes are looking forward to the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand. Singapore was not represented in the sport – which was called kun khmer – at the 2023 Games in Cambodia.

There has already been a confidence boost within the ranks after a fruitful Asian Muaythai Championship 2025 campaign in Vietnam. The team who competed in the June 20-26 tournament returned with eight medals (two golds, two silvers, four bronzes).

Arjun Mishra (para-muaythai/wai kru) and Jeryl Khoo (75kg muaythai combat) claimed golds, while Samantha Lim (wai kru) and Cheryl Gwa (48kg muaythai combat) won silver medals.

Terrence Teo clinched bronzes in muaythai (81kg combat) and wai kru. Ginny Teo (54kg) and Wayne Low (51kg) also secured bronzes.

At the 2021 edition in Hanoi, Singapore won a bronze medal through Gwa. She is the only member of the five-member SEA Games team who has competed in the event.

Khoo, who will contest the men’s 75kg category, is aiming to make the podium.

“There’s a proper team and proper direction now,” said Khoo, 27.

“Even though SMF was around for a while, we don’t really hear much about the achievement of national athletes and there was a lack of promotion of upcoming talent.

“These days there are a lot more muaythai events that happen regularly.”

“I have been training hard and I am very motivated to give my best at the SEA Games.”

Lim, 27, will be the first Singaporean to compete in a wai kru (a pre-fight ritual performance) event at the Games. She picked up the sport only after the SMA brought in experts to demonstrate the event in June.

Lim said: “The cultural aspect of wai kru is quite interesting and I was offered the opportunity to participate in the Asian Championships in June.

“Singapore has never had a wai kru representative at the SEA Games and most countries have, but I still hope to get a silver medal. I’m happy to have the opportunity to represent Singapore.”

Tang has not set any expectations for the 2025 Games, adding: “The 2029 SEA Games in Singapore is our ultimate goal where we want to announce our arrival.

“We want to have a large contingent then, and we are being ambitious and aiming for four to six podium finishes in 2029.”