Trinidad and Tobago athlete Crystal Mahabir will feature at the Reprezentz Muaythai Tournament in Ontario, Canada, on July 13.
Mahabir, 32, competes in the 45kg weight division and opens her campaign against Casey Carles of the host nation. Her goal is to top the field in her category.
“Muaythai is not a well-known sport in TT, and my goal is to win a gold medal for my country at this International Federation of Muaythai Associations-sanctioned event,” she said.
Mahabir added that at most of the international events she’s attended, many opposing nations have never heard about TT, “and I would like to change that by winning fights and putting my country on the map for the sport that I love.”
She’s excited to compete and has been training six days a week, five-six hours daily.
Usually, Mahabir’s morning training session entails a 5.30 am run and strength and conditioning at the gym or bag work. This ends at around 9 am and she then prioritises rest during the day to prepare for her evening session, which starts around 6 pm. Evening sessions include shadow boxing, pad work, bag work, sparring, and other Muaythai training.
If she isn’t physically training, Mahabir is watching fights or preparing mentally.
She said, “I'm excited to have the opportunity to represent my country. I always feel pride as an athlete representing TT on an international level.”
Mahabir’s coach, Rebecca Bhola, who is also Trinbago Muaythai Association (TMA) president, expressed elation at her student’s work ethic.
“She has been putting in the work, with two sessions in the morning and a three-hour session in the evening. We have been fine-tuning her fighting style, and the progress is remarkable,” Bhola said.
Mahabir's training preparations culminated with a two-week fight camp at Milton Muaythai in Canada under the guidance of renowned Muaythai coach Kru Rommel Oliveros.
Mahabir said there were challenges acquiring sponsors and opponents in her weight division.
“Finances for my international events are one of my biggest challenges. Getting support with fundraisers and securing sponsors always seems to be a major setback.
“Due to my weight class, I'm unable to get fights locally, so I have to go to international events to gain experience and participate in the world championships. I'm extremely grateful that I got a few sponsors for this event.”
She credited Boyke's Fitness Centre for sponsoring weekly physiotherapy sessions and HHSL for sponsoring the flight for both coach and athlete.
Bhola said despite the TMA being a young organisation, it has consistently produced podium athletes at nearly every event.
“It's not often that we come across corporate sponsors willing to invest in our athletes. The support provided to Crystal is truly appreciated,” Bhola said.
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