'Fighting for Their Lives'.

AuthorSolomon, Ben C.
PositionChildren and kickboxing in Thailand

In Thailand's brutal national pastime, young kids try to kickbox their way out of poverty. Is it sport or child abuse?

Sprawled on a bamboo mat, Supattra Inthirat closed her eyes as her father massaged her hard arms with oil and menthol. In preparation for her 15th muay Thai bout, her father whispered a prayer into her ear.

When Supattra, a 12-year-old fighter known as Pancake, faced her rival and 400 fans under halogen lights in northeastern Thailand, she would be fighting for a purpose: $60, almost half a month's salary for Thai families in this region.

"She will be a champion," her father said. "She must train early to build up her boxing bones."

Across Thailand, muay Thai (moy tie) is a hallowed style of kickboxing fostered by both rich and poor. For the poor, it can be a form of social mobility, a means for muscled young boxers to fight their families' way into the burgeoning middle class (see "Thailand's Economy," facing page). For the rich, it's a brutal gambling form in which tens of thousands of dollars can be won and lost each night.

In November, those worlds collided just south of Bangkok, when Anucha Tasako, 13, died of a brain hemorrhage after being knocked out in a muay Thai fight. He had fought an astonishing 174 bouts since the age of 8.

Now Thailand has been left to reconsider the brutality of a sport involving underage fighters and the shadowy gambling economy built around it.

"It's child labor and child abuse," says Dr. Jiraporn Laothamatas, a neuroradiologist leading the charge to ban boxing by children. Last year, she released a seven-year study on the effect of muay Thai on children's brains, showing a steady drop in IQ and brain function for those who fight. "These kids earn," Jiraporn says. "They feed their families and their promoters with their winning. We are destroying our children for sport."

'It's in Our Blood to Fight'

Anucha's death stirred a wave of shock and anger across the nation, leading Thai lawmakers to propose a measure that could put stringent limits on fights and bar children younger than 12 from competitive boxing. But not everyone agrees with the proposal.

"This will destroy muay Thai," says Dr. Sudhichai Chokekijchai, a doctor for professional boxers in Bangkok and a fight enthusiast. "We should be focused on prevention instead of pushing kids away. They are fighting for their lives."

The national rules state that boxers 15 and older are required to register to fight officially. For competitors...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT