IFMA World Amateur MuayThai Championships

The IFMA 2006 World Championships have just finished in Bangkok , Thailand . It was the biggest championships ever with 82 countries sending athletes and representatives to compete for medals. Not only this, but many countries sent observers to the tournament in preparation for full participation in the next World Championships .

The tournament was held in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of HRH, the King of Thailand's accession to the Throne. And, it was also a celebration of the inclusion of IFMA into GAISF, an important move which means that Amateur MuayThai is now firmly on the world stage under the guidance of IFMA.

On the first day, HRH, Princess Siriwanwalee, opened the biggest MUAYTHAI championships ever staged. The stadium was packed and alive with colour – national costumes from countries representing 5 continents competed with the vibrant tracksuits of New Zealand , South Africa , America and many others. HRH honoured 11 National Federation Presidents by giving plaques to honour their commitment to MuayThai. The opening was breathtaking with a display of Thai culture bringing Thailand to the world and the world to Thailand . There were no fights on this day, giving all the teams time to check-in and prepare for the competition.

On the 1 st of June, thongs of people packed the stadium – 3 rings with 28 fights in each meant that there was plenty to see. The Kiwi team got the day off to a thrilling start as they stripped off to perform the Haka high up on the stands much to the delight of the audience both in the stadium and on TV; One World –One MUAYTHAI was the tournament motto bringing all cultures together.

Boxers were divided into Male; A, B class, Female and Juniors. The B division in the male competition means that boxers from countries where MuayThai is still developing have the chance to compete for a medal on an even playing field and it lessens the chances of mis-matches in the earlier rounds. Fights were run from 1 pm to 8 pm every day with the fighters lined up next to the ring waiting for their turn.

Both male and female fought for 4 2 minute-rounds with 1 minute rest in-between , the juniors ( males and females who are aged between 8 and 17 ) for 3 2-minute rounds. This makes for an exciting battle with a need for the boxers to show all their techniques in a short space of time. Each fight began with a Wai Khru – the traditional Thai dance wherein boxers show respect for their teacher (their Khru) by dancing in the ring. This is an important part of the traditions of ThaiBoxing , something which connects this relatively new Amateur sport with the original MuayBoran of thousands of years ago.

It's difficult to capture the excitement of watching so many boxers compete, with the contrasting styles and techniques from each country. Huge contingents from Hong Kong , Ukraine , Kazakhstan , Sweden , America , Canada , Australia , Iran , Belarus , South Africa and Russia came equipped with flags, whistles, drums and chants to support in their corners. The Thai crowd rose for their athletes but also recognised talent from other countries and could be heard chanting for their favourites. Smaller nations, many of them competing with IFMA for the first time were heard vowing to return with bigger teams.

And there was plenty more to see - the first MuayThai Expo, the first World MuayThai Aerobics, displays of MuayBoran. The Expo was a great success with stalls from many equipment companies, gyms , supplements, sports beverages – even green tea , 2 massage stalls ( very popular ! ) as well as more traditional tourist stalls - Thai silk etc. Many countries took a booth to promote their own culture as a tourist destination. This gave people the chance to take a break from the noise and excitement in the stadium and see how much MuayThai is growing around the world.

The MuayThai Aerobics competition took place during the Gala Dinner on June 4 th. 5 countries qualified for this final event; Spain, Italy , Hong Kong , Thailand and Korea . Aerobics will never be the same again! Powerful performances mixed dance and traditional moves in a display which caught everyone's' attention! This event was won by Hong Kong who won both the popular and judges' votes – the trophy was given out by Dr. Nat Intrarapan, the IOC member for Thailand . Well done Hong Kong ! The Dinner also saw a donation of 4,000 care packages to the Khun Poom Foundation on for children in need. Lifetime achievement awards were given in memory of General Vorayudh Messomonta and Mr. Bunyan.

There were displays of MuayBoran at various times during the tournament, including a great show by some 5 year old kids. It's important as we move forward with so many different and new events that we remember that our sport has such a strong past.

The finals were run over 2 thrilling days - Tuesday the 6 th for B-class, Female and some Juniors finals and the last day was for the A-class with 1 female fight , 1 B- class. It was a close fight to the end for the trophies and medals. As the golds mounted up, it became clear that the new powerhouse of MuayThai is in Eastern Europe – the anthems of Russia , Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Belarus boomed out again and again along with those of France , Australia, New Zealand and the host nation Thailand.

It all came down to the last fight for the overall team trophy and what it fight it was ! The atmosphere in the stadium was electric with millions watching on TV. The crowd cheered as the Russian boxer took the last gold medal putting Thailand in second place and Ukraine in third. The women's competition was a tie between Thailand and Canada. Trophies were awarded for Best Boxer in the Male and Female divisions – Hancharonak Dzianis from Belarus and Sandra Bastian of Canada. The Wai Khru awards went to Kanibuk Tuslam of Ukraine and Sarahat Khongsawang of Thailand. And looking to the future, 2 prizes were given for potential; to Ra Ko To from Madagascar and Chan Kai Chung from Hong Kong. The Wai Khru team competition was won by Macau , second place went to Hong Kong and third to India.

The cable station UBC covered the fights every day with the Thai stations also doing the opening and closing ceremonies. Many countries also brought a camera team to capture everything for home viewing.

This was the largest IFMA gathering ever, a real celebration of MuayThai and friendship. The fights were of a higher standard than ever, a sure sign of the importance of the tournament to people around the world. As IFMA moves forward now in the GAISF grouping, the future is very bright for this exciting sport.