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3 young M’sians win big at world martial arts championships

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Meet Noah, Yashvard and Yashikaa, taekwondo practitioners who triumphed at the World Championships 2024 in Greece.

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Free Malaysia Today
(L-R) Noah Azmi Hashim, Yashvard Perumal and Yashikaa Prabagaran with their medals. (Rabbani Jamian@FMT Lifestyle)

KUALA LUMPUR:
Noah Azmi Hashim and Yashvard Prabagaran may just be nine years old, but both are already showing big potential to become masterful taekwondo champions.

During a training session at the Xtreme Martial Arts school in Plaza Damas here, the two boys moved with speed and precision, executing their kicks and punches with unwavering concentration.

Behind them, 13-year-old Yashikaa Prabagaran, Yashvard’s sister, was practising with a punching bag. Under the watchful supervision of her trainer, each blow from this aspiring martial arts master landed with a satisfying thud.

This taekwondo-loving trio may not be out of their teenage years yet, but they have already tasted international success, having won medals at the prestigious World Championships 2024 in Rhodes, Greece, in October.

There, Noah and Yashvard picked up a team gold in the Under-12 Hard Style Forms category, while the Prabagaran siblings picked up silver medals for individual performances: Yashikaa in the Female Junior (13-14) Korean Style Forms category, and Yashvard in the Male Kids (Under-12) Korean Style Forms category.

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Noah, Yashvard and Yashikaa training with their coach AVS Bathi Allimuthu. (Rabbani Jamian @FMT Lifestyle)

The Korean Style category allows all forms of Korean martial arts to be practised, such as hapkido and taekwondo, which Noah, Yashvard and Yashikaa have been training in.

“It was a very good experience. The training was very intense. But I learnt through it that you have to keep pushing yourself, until you achieve your goal,” young Yashvard told FMT Lifestyle.

The World Championships, presented by GCO/WKUWORLD, saw over 2,000 participants from 23 countries demonstrating their prowess in both traditional and modern martial arts disciplines.

Noah, Yashvard and Yashikaa have been mastering taekwondo and kickboxing at Xtreme Martial Arts for the past three to four years. Their coach, AVS Bathi Allimuthu, commended his three students, especially for achieving these results after three months of intensive practice.

“We trained about three to five times a week, for about two to three hours. I made them focus on their strengths, set goals, and develop the determination needed to achieve it,” Bathi told FMT Lifestyle.

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Yashikaa in action during her match in the World Championships 2024 in Greece. (Bathi Allimuthu pic)

“I hope what they learnt, they apply in their lives. What we’re doing here isn’t just for fun or to win tournaments, but to build yourself for your future,” he added.

Bathi is the holder of a 9th Degree Black Belt in taekwondo and kickboxing. He is a two-time World Champion (2007 and 2014) and International Grandmaster of the Year 2012 Award recipient. His training has helped produce 26 world champions, including the youngest one ever at just six years old!

Achieving success, Bathi said, required not only physical prowess, but mental strength as well, so as not to be intimidated by other challenges. He therefore encourages his students to develop a winner’s mindset.

“When you become a world champion, your country’s flag is flown, and you will hear the ‘Negaraku’. So, I will play the song for them, and let them feel and imagine their win. If you can see it, you can definitely achieve it,” he said.

Bathi said the three kids’ wins were further testament that Malaysia had the talent, expertise and knowledge to excel in sports such as taekwondo and kickboxing.

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Noah and Yashvard receive their medals on the podium. (Bathi Allimuthu pic)

He hoped to collaborate with other bodies, such as private sponsors or even the sports ministry, to further drive exposure and improvements for these sports over the next year.

His young students, meanwhile, were all still fired up from their experience in Greece, and looked forward to more upcoming championships.

Interestingly, Yashikaa had not originally wanted to take up taekwondo, only doing so because her brother had joined the sport.

“But coming all this way, I realise it’s one of the main things I now enjoy! I’m glad for the support of all my friends and family for helping me come all this way,” she said.

Noah, on the other hand, said he had been a little nervous when the championship began, but fortunately, overcame his nerves.

“I’ll never forget when the judges put the medal on me. I felt so happy and excited,” Noah said.

For more information on Xtreme Martial Arts, visit their website.

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