Israel Claims Two Gold Medals at World Muay Thai Championship

Israel's Shir Cohen and Maksim Barnis secured two gold medals at the World Muay Thai Championship held in Kosovo. The Israeli flag was raised and the national anthem played twice following their victories in the final bouts.

Maksym Barnis, competing in the under 71 kg category, achieved a knockout victory in the first round against his opponent from Kazakhstan to win the championship. His path to the title included wins over competitors from Hungary and Kosovo.

Shir Cohen, in the under 51 kg category, won her final match by points against an opponent from Vietnam. She dominated the fight, securing a 10:9 score in each of the three rounds. Cohen's earlier victories in the tournament were against athletes from Thailand, Spain, and Austria.

The Israeli delegation consisted of seven male athletes and one female athlete. Two members recently transitioned from the junior to the under-24 category. Sahar Meir won his first match against an opponent from Spain but withdrew due to injury. Other Israeli competitors, Ievgenii Noyhaus, Hadar Davidson, and Yonatan Arnon, were eliminated in their first bouts.

Roni Shvaka, professional manager of the Israeli Muay Thai Federation, expressed pride in the athletes' performance, highlighting their representation of Israel and the federation's investment in both senior and junior athletes. Arik Kaplan, president of "Eilat" Association for Non-Olympic Competitive Sports, called the victories a significant gift to Israeli sports ahead of the new year, praising the athletes' determination and championship spirit.