Israel Wins 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 triumphed in their respective weight categories, culminating in the Israeli flag being raised and the national anthem played twice during the event.

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

Cohen, in the under 51 kg category, won her final bout by points against an opponent from Vietnam. She dominated the match, securing a 10:9 advantage in each of the three rounds. 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 Sahar Meir won his first match against a Spanish opponent but was withdrawn from the competition due to injury. Other team members, Eve Neuhaus, Hadar Davidson, and Yonatan Arnon, were eliminated in their first bouts.

Ronnie Shvarka, the professional manager of the Israeli Muay Thai Federation, expressed pride in the athletes' performance, highlighting their honorable representation of Israel and the significant effort invested in preparing a quality team. Arik Kaplan, president of the "Eilat" Federation for Non-Olympic Competitive Sports, called the victories a thrilling gift for Israeli sports ahead of the new year, praising Cohen and Bernis for their high performance, determination, and champion's spirit.