Everyone was able to get a glimpse into the future of USA Muaythai last month as Hammond, Indiana hosted the first-ever USA Muaythai 2023 Summer Games, which included the Youth National Championships and Adult Novice National Championships.
The winners of the Youth National Championships will represent USA Muaythai at the IFMA Youth World Championships in Turkey later this year. Three different gyms had multiple athletes earn a gold medal in their respective divisions. East Side Muay Thai in Virginia Beach, Virginia had three athletes win gold: Quinn Acebedo in the Male 14-15 year old 51kg division, Landon Cahill in the Male 14-15 year old 54kg division, and Eden Acebedo, who competed on the USA Muaythai-sanctioned Freedom 14 Muaythai event that followed the tournaments and earned the Freedom Fighter Promotions Women’s Junior Heavyweight USA Championship as well as the gold medal in the Female 12-13 year old 40kg division.
New York Fight Factory of Brooklyn also will have three athletes going to Turkey. Fayozbek Hasonov captured gold in the Male 10-11 year old 32kg division, as well as Donyor Sobirjonov in the Male 10-11 year old 36 kg division and Zoyirjon Zokirjonov in the Male 12-13 year old 44kg division.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Rami Elite Gym has a pair of national champions this year, with Andrew Ventura earning the top spot in the Male 10-11 year old 44kg division and Paul Cunningham doing the same in the Male 16-17 63.5kg division.
Joining them on the USA Muaythai national team will be Male 10-11 year old 38kg champion Dean Osborne of Diamond Thai Boxing Gym in Beattyville, Kentucky, Male 10-11 year old 48kg winner Ayden Cruz of Dan’s Gym in Mesa, Arizona, Female 10-11 year old 32kg winner Jocelin Suarez of Houston, Texas’s Heritage Muay Thai, Male 12-13 year old 46kg champion Zachary Zelinsky of Brooklyn’s NYC Fitness Club, Female 16-17 year old 51kg winner Emily Prado of Omni Movement in Hercules, California, Male 16-17 year old 51kg winner Joseph Hobbs of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Forza Combat Sports, and Male 16-17 year old 60kg champion Leo Marks of Prime Muay Thai in Lisle, Illinois.
Five adult novice athletes also won gold in the Adult Novice National Championships, which was for athletes who have competed five or less times. Jonah Martindale of Sitan Gym NY in Queens, New York won in the 60kg division, Arturo Perez of Prime Muay Thai in Lisle, Illinois earned gold in the 63.5kg division, Robert Scopelliti of Legion Muay Thai in Staten Island, New York topped the 67kg division, Jeffrey Cetoute of Rajasi Muay Thai and Citadel Martial Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania captured 71kg division gold, and the 86kg division was won by Vincent Morton of Heritage Muay Thai in Houston, Texas.
These tournaments, as well as the Judge and Referee course hosted by USA Muaythai-licensed referees and judges, ensure that the future of Muaythai in America is bright, and USA Muaythai thanks everyone who was involved in making this inaugural event a success.