Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Gisborne Herald

Gisborne fighters in the medals at international martial arts event

Gisborne Herald
27 May, 2025 01:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A New Zealand team featuring several Gisborne martial artists won gold and silver medals at the 7th International & Thai Martial Arts Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

A New Zealand team featuring several Gisborne martial artists won gold and silver medals at the 7th International & Thai Martial Arts Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fighters from Gisborne won gold and silver medals in their age and weight classes as part of a New Zealand team at a martial arts event in Thailand.

Melissa Mackey-Huriwai, of Gisborne’s Rangataua o Aotearoa club, and Nigel Elliott, of Ace Fighters Putāruru, took an 11-strong New Zealand team to the 7th International & Thai Martial Arts Games held at Nimibutr National Stadium in Bangkok.

The event featured the disciplines of Muay Thai, Muay Boran, boxing, kickboxing, MMA, Jeet Kune Do and Dap Thai.

As well as Muay Thai (known as “the Art of Eight Limbs”) and kickboxing, some of the New Zealanders competed in Muay Boran or ancient Thai boxing - an unarmed martial art of Thailand before the introduction of modern equipment and rules in the 1930s.

Among the Kiwi fighters who did multiple fight disciplines at the Games were Gisborne’s Jaxston Mackey-Riini, Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai and Natalie Mackey.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ravyn Simpson won gold in Muay Boran and gold in K1 kickboxing, both against an Iranian fighter, in the Under-18 years 57-kilograms division.

Mackey-Huriwai won gold in pro-am Muay Thai against a Thai opponent and silver in K1 kickboxing against an American opponent in the senior 60kg division.

Mackey won gold in K1 kickboxing against a Japanese opponent and silver in pro-am Muay Thai against a Thai opponent in the senior 57kg division.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mackey-Riini won gold in Muay Boran against a Thai fighter in the U10yrs 31kg division.

Thalia Mackey-Huriwai won gold in Muay Boran against a Vietnamese fighter in the U12yrs 41kg division.

Jada Pomana won gold in the K1 kickboxing against a Cambodian in the senior 84kg division.

Gisborne fighters to earn silver were Aronui Maidens in the U16yrs 54kg division and Chris Lee in the K1 kickboxing senior 81kg division.

The ITMA Games were founded in 2016 by several organisation with a shared vision of preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Thailand through the power of martial arts.

Over the years, the Games have attracted hundreds of participants from over 30 countries.

As well as the combat sports, the Games showcase traditional dances and other art forms.

The event also offers the chance to take part in a range of seminars and courses, including the highly-coveted judge and referee course.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Premium
Gisborne Herald

'Not fit for a dog': Gisborne tenant reveals harsh realities of rental hunt

10 Jun 05:00 PM
Gisborne Herald

Watch: Police probe after 'distressing' footage emerges of youths hurling baby goat to death

10 Jun 06:36 AM
Gisborne Herald

'Decades of underinvestment': Gisborne play space to get significant upgrade

10 Jun 06:00 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Premium
'Not fit for a dog': Gisborne tenant reveals harsh realities of rental hunt

'Not fit for a dog': Gisborne tenant reveals harsh realities of rental hunt

10 Jun 05:00 PM

Gisborne's median rent on Trade Me in April was $680, the highest in New Zealand.

Watch: Police probe after 'distressing' footage emerges of youths hurling baby goat to death

Watch: Police probe after 'distressing' footage emerges of youths hurling baby goat to death

10 Jun 06:36 AM
'Decades of underinvestment': Gisborne play space to get significant upgrade

'Decades of underinvestment': Gisborne play space to get significant upgrade

10 Jun 06:00 AM
Defending champs take round one honours

Defending champs take round one honours

10 Jun 04:11 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP