RIYADH, October 7, 2024 – A voice full of emotions. Boubkar Ariba spoke with difficulty, his voice trembling. He is the coach of Albaraa Alamoudi, who won the gold medal in the men's 57 kg weight category at Muay-Thay tournament of the Saudi Games.
In the final held on Sunday in Boulevard City, Alamoudi of AlUla, defeated Al Hilal’s Bin Mubarak Abdulaziz.
“My coach is my idol in Muay Thai because he has the ability to face tough situations, endure challenges, and bounce back from them,” said Alamoudi, who dedicated his victory to his Moroccan mentor.
Ariba is the coach who made Alamoudi win a Muay-Thai world title for the first time this year.
At 38 years old, Ariba has spent over two decades in Muay-Thai, becoming world champion once in 2014, twice in 2015, and again in 2019.
After winning more than a dozen Moroccan championships, he felt the urge to dedicate his life to search for new talents. To fulfill that dream, he chose coaching. Now, among his trainees, he can be proud of the new Saudi champion in the 57 kg category.
SELF-DEFENCE - When Albaraa Alamoudi won Muay-Thai World Championship in Greece in June he also became the first Saudi to accomplish that.
Alamoudi chose Muay-Thai for self-defence. Being the smallest kid in his group, Alamoudi was subjected to heavy bullying from his peers on a daily basis when he was just a teenager. In early 2019, Alamoudi found his way out of that nightmare when he entered a Muay-Thai gym. “At that age I learned the hard way how important it is to be able to defend myself. Muay-Thai changed my life. I stopped feeling like the smallest boy in my envinroment,” he recalls.
His family has never left his side at every step. His parents and brother are always present at his matches, cheering him on. He attributes his unwavering determination to the love and support he receives from his family.
OLYMPIC DREAM - Muay-Thai has not yet been officially included in the Olympic programme. It was included as a demonstration sport for the first time in Paris 2024. However, Alamoudi hopes that sooner or later the sport will recognized also by the International Olympic Committee.
“My dream is to perform at the Olympics. I am only 22 and I am confident one day in the coming years, I will be given that opportunity. If that happens, you will see many Muay-Thai fighters from Saudi Arabia winning medals.”
