SHAH ALAM, Dec 9 — Selangor is ready to work with Malaysian professional Muay Thai athlete Muhamad Johan Ghazali Zulfikar, better known as Jojo, to strengthen the development of the sport at the state level.
State executive councillor for youth, sports, and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi said his meeting with the 19-year-old athlete opened the door to preliminary discussions on proposals to upgrade the combat sport training ecosystem.
“He (Jojo) expressed his intention and commitment to play a more active role in developing Muay Thai on a broader scale, covering not only the state but also the sport’s bright future at the national level.
“Jojo also shared his training experience in Bangkok, Thailand, and put forward several proposals he believes could help drive the development of Muay Thai in Selangor,” he told the media at the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) headquarters here today.
Earlier, Najwan officiated the closing ceremony of the Graduate Entrepreneur Programme (Grow) and its advanced segment (Grow Plus), organised by PKNS, and presented certificates and trophies to 60 graduates who completed more than 20 business modules from March to November. The programmes collectively recorded cumulative sales of nearly RM106 million.
The councillor added that Jojo is currently undergoing full-time intensive training in Bangkok due to the lack of facilities, coaching expertise, and avenues for the sport’s development across Malaysia.
“He raised the need to explore the establishment of a dedicated hub or training centre for Muay Thai athletes in Selangor.
“According to Jojo, many promising athletes are currently training in small clubs or community gyms and do not yet have access to large-scale training facilities,” he said.
Najwan said that Jojo also offered to serve as a spokesperson for Muay Thai athletes, noting that his influence among youths is growing, an offer he welcomed, as athletes like Jojo can help strengthen efforts to expand the sport’s grassroots development.
“I noted that the state government will consider potential synergies and forms of collaboration that could be explored with him.
“So far, no timeline has been set as the meeting was an initial session, but follow-up actions will be undertaken next year,” he said, adding that Muay Thai is currently enjoying strong support and can help instil discipline and character in athletes if developed through a professional approach.
Jojo, accompanied by his parents, visited Najwan’s office yesterday afternoon to discuss plans to boost Muay Thai in Malaysia, including in Selangor.
