Silver for muay fighter marks Singapore's best SEA Games result

SINGAPORE: Ginny Teo delivered a valiant performance in the women’s muay 54kg final on Wednesday (Dec 17), taking silver after a loss to Thailand’s Nirawan Tangchio and in the process, securing Singapore’s best SEA Games result in the combat sport.

Team Singapore’s previous best result in muay had been bronze.

Teo, 25, was outpointed by her opponent 29-28 at Bangkok's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, widely regarded as the spiritual home of Muay Thai.

The Games debutante beat Kylie Alyssa Mallari of the Philippines and Vietnam's Hoa Thi Dinh in the earlier rounds to earn her spot in the final.

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The fighter told the International Federation of Muaythai Associations in a Facebook video interview before her quarter-final win over Mallari that while this was her first appearance at an event of this magnitude, she was unfazed and her message to loved ones was "to wait for my medal".

"It kind of pushed me forward to strive and push myself to want to achieve more for my country," she said. "For my preparation (ahead of the Games), I actually flew out to Thailand, Phuket to train for the last stretch of my fight camp."

"It actually helped me a lot and pushed my cardio and (made) sure my skills were developed properly so I feel stronger this time."

Singapore's muay contingent ended their Games campaign with two bronze - Terrence Teo (men's 75kg) and Jeryl Khoo (men's 71kg) - in addition to Teo's silver.