Combat Sports Can Shape Disciplined Youths, Not Violence — Mohammed Taufiq
CYBERJAYA, May 16 (Bernama) -- Combat sports should no longer be stereotyped as violent activities as they can instead help shape disciplined, resilient and focused youths when provided with the right platform, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said.
He said the negative perception towards the sport, including its association with violence, must be changed as it can actually serve as a platform to cultivate strong commitment and positive character among youths.
"If we provide a platform for young people, we can replace violence out there with a more positive platform. That is the most important thing,” he told reporters after officiating a two-day Combatchamps 2026 championship here, today.
He said the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) viewed combat sports as an area with strong potential not only for youth development, but also for producing future sporting talents as the sports offered strong medal prospects at major events.
“We look at the performance of the associations and so on, there are medals that we have achieved previously (in combat sports) and we need to further refine and strengthen this," he said, adding that his ministry will discuss further with the National Sports Council on the way forward for the sports.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Taufiq said the organiser of Combatchamps received RM185,000 through the Sports Matching Grant for the development of combat sports, and the amount was an increase from RM150,000 last year to reflect the government’s support for youth programmes that gave positive social impact.
Earlier in his speech, he said Combatchamps 2026 is an important grassroots platform for talent identification and athlete development, while commended Malaysia Wrestling Federation for bringing together various combat sports disciplines such as wrestling, jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai and boxing under one platform.
Meanwhile, the federation president Azlan Iskandar said the championship, now in its second year, was organised in collaboration with International Copa Combat Championship, which has extensive experience in handling multi-discipline martial arts events.
He added that participation in the Combatchamps increased from nearly 800 participants last year to more than 1,000 this year, involving athletes from Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia as well as representatives from various local gyms.
-- BERNAMA
