At a press conference today, Warzone’s Yusuf Azmi said corrective measures have been taken and the event, scheduled to take place on Dec 6 and 7 in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, is expected to proceed.
Yusuf said a letter was submitted to the sports commissioner’s office this week to register the event, in compliance with the Sports Development Act 1997 (SDA).
He also said that in line with the youth and sports ministry’s statement that children aged 15 and below are prohibited from taking part in full-contact sports events without protective gear, the junior category of the competition had been cancelled.
“We acknowledge shortcomings in our early communications and promotions, which gave the impression that Warzone involves violent or unethical competitions,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.
Yusuf said the organisers held a series of discussions with the authorities to ensure that every aspect of the event complies with established guidelines and regulations.
He said the event initially featured a special junior category that did not involve high-risk physical combat, focussing instead on artistic, technical and martial arts discipline.
“Judging was planned to be based on technical skill, discipline and sportsmanship, not winning matches,” he said.
Yesterday, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said the participation of exponents aged below 15 in combat sports, such as MMA (mixed martial arts), Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing, is only allowed in official tournaments organised by a national sports association or state sports associations registered under the Act.
On Sunday, her ministry said it had not sanctioned the event. It said any sports event, especially those involving international participation, must obtain approval from the sports commissioner.
The Warzone championship drew public attention after several video clips of altercations between Malaysian and Indonesian fighters went viral, believed to be part of the event’s promotional strategy.
Wait for approval, says ministry
Bernama reported Yeoh as saying the ministry, through the sports commissioner, had received the letter, but noted that the organisers would be subject to the usual waiting period of about 30 days for its decision on the tournament.
“There are no special allowances just because the matter has gone viral. We follow the process … you need to wait about 30 days,” she said after officiating a Rakan Muda programme at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil today.