When Jaimely Pruijmboom stepped into the ring for Muay Thai World Championship final, she was incredibly nervous. The Eindhoven native, who celebrated her fourteenth birthday last Tuesday shook off her nerves with kicks and punches and claimed her first world title last Friday. “I never expected to become the best in the world”.
The teenager had competed in two previous World Championships, but this tournament in Abu Dhabi was her first successful one. In the 12/13 age category up to 46 kilograms, she proved too strong for her opponents.
“After the first round, I didn’t want to say too much. I wanted to fight the semi-final first”, Jaimely told Omroep Brabant. “When I won that, I gained a lot of confidence. But before the final, I was so nervous that I started to doubt myself. I felt like my focus wasn’t right. I felt the pressure that this was the moment when it had to happen”.
Decided fairly quickly
In the final, the match was decided fairly quickly after a technical knockout. “I kicked and punched her in the head so much that she was overwhelmed. When the referee stopped the match and I knew I had won, I was so relieved. The title of world champion feels incredible”, she says.
The strength that the Eindhoven native has in her legs and arms is impressive. But that also means she has had to learn to take a punch. “I’m not afraid of getting hit. Of course, I can take a punch, but I know I can also give one. That gives me a lot of confidence”.
World title
For the 14-year-old, the world title is a reward for the many hours she has spent in the gym in Eindhoven. “I train often, but I also pay attention to my diet and rest. It’s mainly about the mindset. You have to really want it, otherwise you won’t get far. I am very motivated to make even more progress and win tournaments. Will I be able to earn money with it later? In the Netherlands, that’s not really possible with Muay Thai, but in Thailand it could be. In the Netherlands, it is possible with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), for example, but that’s not what I’m looking for”.
Another important reason for Jaimely’s success is that she loves the sport. “It’s a game in the ring; you have to think about your actions. If you just do something without thinking, it can go wrong. What also makes Muay Thai beautiful is the mutual respect. I’ve never had an opponent who wasn’t respectful.”
She wants to retain the title in the coming years. And that’s despite the fact that four years ago she had no ambition to compete. “I was introduced to Muay Thai by my cousin, but I just wanted to do it for fun. I had never thought about competing until my trainer said I was ready. I didn’t say no”.
Source: Studio040/Omroep Brabant
Translated by: Bob
