The Maia International Acro Cup is one of the largest and most prestigious acrobatic gymnastics events. Held every year in Maia, Portugal, this year marked the 18th year of this exciting competition. MIAC highlights the incredible skill and artistry of acrobatic gymnastics. Gymnasts from all over the world perform stunning routines that blend remarkable strength and flexibility with perfect choreography.
The event features competitions in various categories, including mixed pairs, women’s groups and men’s groups.
With cheering crowds in the stadium and strong support from their Sydney Hills Gymnastics team back home, Akasha Prasad and Maliyah Mohabbat made their international debut for Australia.
Akasha and Maliyah performed on the international stage for the first time, beginning their three days of competition with a strong balance routine. Their impressive score of 26, placed them in 3rd out of 22 women’s pairs. Coach Jillian expressed she was “beyond proud” to the supporters gathered to watch back home. While Maliyah thanked everyone for the support, saying, “It means so much to us.”
The next day our pair maintained the high standard they set on day one. The girls brought their choreography to life with an expressive performance and impressive tumbling in their dynamic routine. At the end of the session, they kept their 3rd place overall, earning one of the 11 spots in the semi-finals!
In the semi-finals, Akasha and Maliyah wowed everyone with their stunning routine. They earned the highest artistry score of all combined routines on the day, placing them in 4th. Everyone at Sydney Hills Gymnastics was thrilled to see them progress to the elite finals, where they competed against only 6 other pairs.
Although their routines did not go as planned, it was a performance they could still be proud of, placing them 6th overall. Akasha and Maliyah shared their pride and the valuable lessons learnt on Instagram.
They are now gearing up to train even harder for the World Championships in Portugal in September. Showing just how resilient and determined this hardworking pair is.
Coach Jillian Connor highlighted the valuable experience they gained and their gratitude for representing Australia. Jillian proudly said, ” You girls worked tirelessly day in and out, and it showed on the competition floor. You have made Australia and Sydney Hills so proud and deserve every bit of this success.”
Written by Alison Langdon from Sydney Hills Gymnastics