Gay kickboxing star overcomes injury to win gold medal at major event
Pikanet “Jimmy” Sukyik is celebrating success and self-expression at the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok, Thailand. The post Gay kickboxing star overcomes injury to win gold medal at major event appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
A rising gay star in kickboxing is being hailed as the “Pride of Thailand” after winning one of the biggest titles of his career.
Pikanet Sukyik, known as “Jimmy,” claimed a gold medal last week at the 2025 SEA Games, a major international multi-sports event held in Bangkok.
The 26-year-old dislocated his shoulder in the closing round of the final in the men’s tatami point fighting 63kg category, but courageously fought on to secure victory.
An interview with Pikanet was subsequently shared on the official SEA Games social media accounts, with the description calling him “a Thai national LGBTQ athlete who warms our hearts.”
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@thaipbsworld LGBTQ kickboxing fighter Pikanet “Jimmy” Sukyik thrust himself into the SEA Games spotlight once again following his gritty triumph in the men’s point fighting 63kg class, in which his fighting spirit came to the fore.At the previous Games in Cambodia two years ago, Pikanet became an internet sensation overnight despite ending his campaign with only a bronze medal. A video clip of him performing a curtsy to greet his win after a fight went viral, drawing more than 2.3 million views.Competing on home soil this time, the Nakhon Si Thammarat native portrayed himself as a genuine fighter, gritting his teeth to battle through pain in the final against Indonesia’s Sitepu Ariyanta to eventually clinch his first SEA Games gold medal on his third appearance at the region’s biennial sporting event. #ThaiPBSWorld #Thailand #SEAGames2025 ♬ original sound – Thai PBS World
A video of the athlete went viral during the previous edition of the SEA Games in Cambodia two years ago.
Pikanet’s twirling celebration after winning a match brought him many fans, but his flamboyance angered officials from the Asian Kickboxing Federation, who called it disrespectful and considered disqualifying him.
The fighter sent them a letter of apology and was allowed to continue in the competition, going on to win bronze in the 69kg kick light category.
Afterwards, Pikanet found himself the focus of attention from national media, and shared his story with Bangkok online magazine The Cloud.
Describing his childhood in the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand, he said: “I knew I was gay since first grade, when I started liking boys, playing volleyball, or dancing… On stage, I’d dance like crazy.”
Thailand is among the most progressive countries in Asia in terms of gay rights and legislation, ranked second only to Nepal on Equaldex’s regional LGBT Equality Index.
Pikanet Sukyik started karate at an early age
Pikanet explained that he got into karate in his teens, and his talent was so great that he was a member of the national junior team at the age of 15, and ranked in the world’s top 10.
He also says that despite being the only out gay boy in his school and in his age group at the national association, he wasn’t made to feel bad by the other kids.
When he got to university, he turned his focus to kickboxing, and made steady progress before really hitting his stride this year. In October, he also won a gold medal at the Kickboxing World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Another 2025 highlight for Pikanet was being named winner of the “Pride Value in Sport” category at the Bangkok Pride Awards.
The Kickboxing Association of Thailand shared the news, saying: “This award reflects Jimmy’s dedication to representing by combining the power of sports, martial arts, and cultural identity to inspire a society that embraces diversity and equality.
“We are honored to be part of an athlete’s journey whose impact goes beyond competition — serving as a meaningful voice for both community and culture.”
Pikanet has around 80,000 followers across his social media accounts, and is most popular on TikTok where he shares highlights of his matches, alongside videos of himself dancing.
There are also some amusingly relaxed moments with his shirtless friends at training!
@jimmy.sukyik ความสุขในการรฝึกซ้อม #จิมมี่คิกบ็อกซิ่ง #จิมมี่พิฆเนศ #kickboxing ##seagames2025 #fyp ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – PzRemix
However, Pikanet is a seriously fierce competitor on the tatami mat, as proven by his courage to come through that injury scare in the SEA Games final.
He told Thai PBS World: “It left me a bit unsettled, but I tried to maintain my concentration to stay in the fight.
“I thought that even if I had to fight with only one hand, I must not lose.”
Similar to 2023, Pikanet received a caution from the World Kickboxing Federation for his “full-turn” pose before the bout, but his association continues to support him in his self-expression.
“They want me to be myself,” he added, “and I would like everyone to be open-minded.”
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The post Gay kickboxing star overcomes injury to win gold medal at major event appeared first on Outsports.
