More than 60 countries have sent delegations to Deçan, where Kosovo is hosting the IFMA Senior All Disciplines World Championships for the first time. Organised by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations -IFMA-, the event runs from 1 to 11 September, with the opening bouts scheduled for 4 September following the arrival of the teams and the technical meetings. Athletes from every continent have gathered for a World Championships that brings the sporting, cultural and adapted forms of Muaythai into a single event.
Standard combat competition forms one part of the programme, but it is not the only discipline represented. Deçan is also hosting Wai Kru, the ceremony through which athletes show respect to their teachers, families and traditions before competing; Mai Muaythai, focused on the technical and choreographed performance of traditional movements; as well as Para Muaythai categories and special divisions for athletes with disabilities. The ‘All Disciplines’ concept therefore brings competitive performance, technical precision and the preservation of cultural heritage together at the same World Championships.
Kosovo moves onto the world stage
The event represents the next step in a process that began in November 2024, when Pristina hosted the IFMA European Championships. That tournament brought together 30 countries over one week and became the first major international Muaythai event held in Kosovo. Two years later, the national federation, officially recognised by the Ministry of Sports, is staging a larger global competition in Deçan with more delegations and disciplines, supported by the Kosovo Government and the local organising committee.
The Team Managers’ Meeting officially opened the programme. IFMA director general Charissa Tynan presented the venue, available services and health and safety measures, as well as the cultural and social activities prepared for the delegations. Technical delegate Dato’ Shahnaz Azmi explained the protocols for each discipline, while head technical official Gunter Plank reviewed the regulations and the criteria to be applied consistently throughout the competitions. The international federation also presented its media strategy for following the performances and stories of the athletes during the World Championships.
Shahnaz Azmi connects Kosovo and Malaysia
Shahnaz Azmi’s presence links the championships with another recent institutional development for Muaythai. Alongside his role as technical delegate in Deçan, he is a member of the IFMA Executive Board and president of the Muaythai federation of Malaysia. The federation invited the country’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, to attend the competition held as part of the 22nd Malaysia Games -SUKMA-, a national multi-sport event primarily intended to develop young athletes.
Anwar attended the Muaythai tournament at SUKMA Selangor 2026 on 20 August, accompanied by Minister of Youth and Sports Mohammed Taufiq bin Johari and Selangor’s head of government Amirudin bin Shari. The Games brought together more than 5,000 athletes across 37 sports between 15 and 24 August. The Muaythai competition took place in Klang from 19 to 23 August, with eight men’s and four women’s divisions. The Prime Minister watched the competition, put on the gloves and joined the athletes for a demonstration, publicly recognising their work and the discipline’s growing presence within Malaysia’s sporting system.
A relationship built through events and television
Selangor’s relationship with international Muaythai predates the Prime Minister’s visit. The state supported ‘The Challenger Muaythai’, a reality television series that brought together competitors from different countries and received an International Emmy Award nomination, introducing its athletes to audiences beyond federation championships. In 2022, Sunway City also hosted the IFMA Youth World Championships, attended by national delegations from several continents. Both initiatives helped establish Malaysia as an event host, a centre for youth development and an international federation partner beyond the sport’s country of origin.
IFMA now says that the Malaysian Government, its Ministry of Youth and Sports, the national federation and the World Muaythai Council -WMC- are working on a new initiative involving sport, youth, education, culture and international cooperation. The organisations will need to provide further details about a project intended to open another chapter for Muaythai in the country. While Malaysia prepares its presentation, the most immediate development is taking place in Deçan, where Kosovo has progressed in less than two years from staging its first European Championships to hosting an IFMA Senior World Championships encompassing all its disciplines.
Last related articles
