Mohamad Adil gets host UAE off to flying start at Muaythai World Championships

Emirati scores first round knockout over Le Bon on opening day

Mohamad Adil, left, beat Aymric Le Bon at the Muaythai World Championship at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Pawan Singh / The National

Mohamad Adil got the hosts off to a flying start with a first-round knockout victory on the opening day of the 2022 IFMA World Muaythai World Championship for seniors and youth.

He made short work of Aymric le Bon of Mauritius in the 54kg weight to advance into the second round of the week-long championships at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre on Saturday.

“I was very fortunate the fight ended quickly because this is a long championships with three more fights left to reach the medal round,” Adil said after his victory.

“I was following my coach’s instructions, waiting for the opportunities to strike, and it came when he tried to grab me, which dropped his guard that gave me the chance to knock him out.”

Adil, 22, is appearing in the Youth Worlds for the second time after Bangkok in 2021.

“I couldn’t go the full distance on that occasion but obviously my goal is to reach the medal round this time,” he added.

“There is still a lot of work left for that, though. My focus is on the next opponent and I wish I can be successful again.

“As a team of 18 squad we have all been preparing for this championships. We had a 45-day camp and want to give our best to win a few medals for the country.”

Aldo earning second round tickets in the Youth Worlds were Aldrich Toralba of the Philippines in the men’s event and Kantiya Panoram of Thailand in the women’s.

Toralba, 19, who won silver at the Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi in 2019, triumphed on points over Amrith Krishna of India.

“It was a hard first round but I’m glad to come out of it with a win,” Toralba, appearing in his second Youth Worlds, said.

“The last Youth Worlds was an experience and this time the objective obviously is to reach the medal round, and to reach that point, I have to go through three more fights. Hopefully I can get there.”

Panoram, 18, is also making her second appearance at the same level and hopes to progress to the medal round.

“It was a tough first round and that’s what you expect at that level,” Panoram said after a unanimous decision over Stefania Zoi Pappa of Greece.

“I have been practicing Muaythai from the age of 12 and it’s something that I really enjoy. Nowadays I have to divide sport and studies, and this time I want to return with a medal. Hopefully.”

The championship in Abu Dhabi will be the first in the qualification series of the World Combat Games 2023 in Riyadh with the gold medal winners earning direct tickets, while the losing finalists gain valuable qualification points.

The championship has drawn more than 600 fighters from more than 100 countries in both the open and U23 (Youth) championships for men and women.