A third member of the South Sudan Kickboxing Federation (SSKF), Abednego Thon, popularly known as “Wizzy,” has been crowned champion at the ongoing World Muay Thai Championship in Pattaya, Thailand.
Wizzy, competing in the 68 kg category, won his debut international gold medal after defeating the Philippines’ JC A. Pascuel.
This year’s World Muay Thai Championship is taking place from March 12 to 18, 2026, with dozens of countries participating, including South Sudan, Argentina, the Philippines, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Brazil and France. The South Sudanese team has reached the finals, with fighters Majok and Okony successfully defending the gold medals they won in last year’s tournament.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, the federation’s president, Puro Okeelo Obob, said Wizzy’s victory reinforces South Sudan’s strong presence in martial arts.
He dedicated the win to young people and urged them to unite through sports.
“Internationally, we are leaders in martial arts. We are grateful that we are returning home with three gold medals. For young people, let us use sports to unite us,” he said. “Additionally, I challenge our government to build sports academies to bring young people together, creating the peace we need most.”
Puro, who also serves as the federation’s head coach, urged South Sudanese to support the team as it returns home with gold medals on Friday at 9 a.m.
For his part, Silphano Oluoch, general manager of Smart Capital Company Ltd, the federation’s financial partner, said he was pleased with the growth of martial arts in South Sudan in recent years, with the country performing strongly on the global stage.
“We have been in partnership with the federation since 2022, providing financial support. We are happy that we successfully defended our two gold medals and added a new one. South Sudan is now on the world map as a leader in sports,” he said.