Muay Thai’s sole representative adds bronze to Singapore’s SEA Games medal tally!
Cheryl Gwa (blue) and Vietnam's Ha Huu Hieu Huynh battle it out at the Vinh Phuc Sports Center on 21 May. Photo Credit: Sport Singapore/ Jeremy Lee
By Angelina Dass
Cheryl Gwa, the only Singaporean Muay Thai athlete at the Hanoi Games picked up a bronze medal on 21 May in the under-48kg category.
The 31 year old, is now the third woman to have won the sport a bronze medal in the regional Games. Cheryl follows Lena Tan, who medalled in the Under-54kg flyweight category in 2019, and Brenda Shee Jin Hui who clinched her achievement in the Under-51kg flyweight 12 years before that.
(Singapore's Cheryl Gwa in action at the Hanoi SEA Games on 21 May. Photo Credit: Sport Singapore/ Jeremy Lee)
In front of a packed sports centre in the province of Vinh Phuc on Day 9 of the Hanoi Games, debutant Cheryl fell to host nation’s Ha Huu Hieu Huynh 3-0 in a bout that lasted approximately 18 minutes.
She was awarded the joint-bronze together with Rudzma Abubakar Solina, from the Philippines, who was beaten by Thailand’s Kullant Aonok 1-0.
The 31 year old had no qualms about the raucous cheers from the home crowd, but believed they gave her opponent, the 2021 U23 World Champion, a morale boost. Huu Hieu was also the world champion of the 2019 U23 International Federation of Muaythai Association (IFMA) Senior World Championships.
(Cheryl Gwa and Vietnam's Ha Huu Hieu Huynh battle it out at the Vinh Phuc Sports Center on 21 May. Photo Credit: Sport Singapore/ Jeremy Lee)
“Going in I knew it was going to be a challenging fight as she’s a 2-time U23 world champion, who has developed a lot since we last met. She was the better fighter today,’ said Cheryl.
Despite being awarded a medal, the Singaporean was not happy with her performance as she expected to win at least one fight. “I need to reflect on my performance and make the necessary adjustments to return a better competitor at upcoming fights and hopefully the next SEA games,” said the gold medalist of the 2019 Arafura Games.
(Cheryl Gwa delivers a knee to her opponent’s ribs as she battles Vietnam’s Ha Huu Hieu Huynh. Photo Credit: Sport Singapore/ Jeremy Lee)
Cheryl believes fighters have to quickly adapt and be at the top of their game, if they intend to do well at major Games, especially since the Thai martial art was recognised as an Olympic sport in 2021.
She will now shift her focus to her upcoming tournaments, the 2022 IFMA World Championship in Abu Dhabi held from 26 May to 4 June and the World Games in July in the United States.
Muay Thai has featured at the SEA Games five times before with Singapore’s best showing of 3 medals at the 2007 edition held in Thailand. The contingent brought home two bronze medals in the men’s lightweight U60kg and U63.5kg, in addition to Shee’s bronze.
For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Topics
[BlogPost 164438712123 NSG 2024 Badminton: Senior Div Girls Quarter-Finals, BlogPost 164238055490 Evergreen Aleksandar Duric Still Making Headlines at 53, BlogPost 164170080646 NSG 2024 Rope Skipping: Junior Div Girls Freestyle Team Finals, BlogPost 162884973666 Move and Rest Better With Data From Your Own Body, BlogPost 163393049482 Life Comes Full Circle For Serangoon Garden Secondary School's Fahrish Khan, BlogPost 163258797651 Making Golf a Sport for All, BlogPost 162512222328 NSG 2024 Sepaktakraw: Senior Div Yuhua Primary School vs Qihua Primary School, BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever]