Israel Claims Two Gold Medals at World Muay Thai Championship

Israel's Shir Cohen and Maxim Bernis secured two gold medals at the World Muay Thai Championship held in Kosovo. Both athletes won their final bouts, leading to the Israeli flag being raised and the national anthem played twice during the competition.

Bernis, competing in the under-71 kg category and coached by Ohad Korland, achieved a knockout victory in the first round against his opponent from Kazakhstan. His path to the title included wins over competitors from Hungary and Kosovo.

Cohen, in the under-51 kg category, defeated her opponent from Vietnam by points across three rounds, with a score of 10:9 in each. Her earlier victories in the tournament were against athletes from Thailand, Spain, and Austria in the semi-finals.

The Israeli delegation consisted of eight athletes. Sahar Meir won his first bout against a Spanish opponent but withdrew due to injury. Other team members, Eve Neuhaus, Hadar Davidson, and Yonatan Arnon, were eliminated in their first matches.

Ronnie Shvarka, the professional manager of the Israeli Muay Thai Federation, expressed pride in the athletes' performance and representation of Israel, highlighting the federation's investment in both senior and junior athletes. Arik Kaplan, president of the "Eilat" Association for Non-Olympic Competitive Sports, congratulated the medalists and emphasized the significance of the achievement for Israeli sports, especially heading into the new year.