A clip showing two young boys acting aggressively towards each other at a press conference meant to promote a mixed martial arts (MMA) competition has recently gone viral.
Since its circulation, netizens have expressed anger over it, saying it was a clear example of children being exploited for entertainment purposes.
Of shoves, kicks, and trash talk
In the one-and-a-half minute long clip shared on X, it showed two boys squaring up to each other at the press conference held at a building located in Bangsar on Saturday (Nov 1).
Things then got off to a rather tense start when the boy in a red singlet lunged at his leather jacket-clad opponent, leading to some pushing and shoving before they were separated by the grown-ups.
However, that did little to quell the crackling tension between the boys, where they had another go at each other which ultimately resulted in the red singlet boy being on the receiving end of a kick by the other party.
Not long after the physical confrontation, the boys got into a verbal confrontation with them exchanging barbs with each other — a tactic commonly used by MMA fighters to gain a mental edge over their opponent before the official match.
Based on the display screen in the background, the MMA event is called the War Zone Championship, which, according to its website, features bouts involving Muay Thai and boxing.
The event is scheduled to be held from Dec 6-7 at the N9 Arena in Negeri Sembilan, where 54 fighters from Malaysia and Indonesia, and guest fighters from India, China, and Thailand will be in attendance.
Widespread condemnation
Not long after the clip went viral, it sparked outrage from netizens, who slammed the organiser for inciting children to behave aggressively for entertainment purposes.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh later released a statement on the matter, where she joined along in condemning the event.
In the statement, she said the War Zone Championship did not receive approval from the ministry beforehand, whereby sports events involving international participation must obtain approval from the Sports Commissioner of Malaysia under the Sports Development Act 1997 [Act 576].
“The ministry advises all parties to comply with the regulations to ensure the integrity and safety of national sports.
“For any international sporting event held without the approval of the Sports Commissioner, action may be taken under Section 36 of Act 576.”
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