Hong Kong history maker Alex Tsang targeting a Muay Thai medal at World Games
- The 30-year-old is ‘honoured’ to be city’s first Muay Thai representative at the biggest international showcase for non-Olympic sports
- Hong Kong Muay Thai Association president hopes event will garner more attention for the sport in the city
Muay Thai fighter Alex Tsang Ching-yee is not satisfied with simply making history for Hong Kong at this month’s World Games – she also wants a medal in Birmingham, Alabama.
The 30-year-old will become Hong Kong’s first Muay Thai representative at the event – the biggest international showcase for non-Olympic programmes – after accepting an invitation from the sport’s governing body, with Russian athletes banned.
She will have to move up in weight from her usual 54-kilogram category to 57kg, but does not anticipate any problems.
“I will definitely grasp this opportunity as the first Thai boxer to represent Hong Kong at the World Games,” said Tsang. “I have fought at 57kg before and therefore it won’t be too difficult for me to adapt to it.”
Tsang reached the last eight of the 54kg category at the 2019 World Championships in Bangkok, and was the 2018 Hong Kong 57kg champion.
“Of course the 57kg boxers will be more powerful with possibly a bigger figure,” Tsang said. “But my coach already adjusted my training programme to tackle taller and heavier opponents.