IOC nod shot in the arm for Muay Thai
SAT governor urges all parties to work towards traditional martial art’s inclusion in Summer Games
>> Sports Authority of Thailand governor Sakol Wannapong has urged Muay Thai officials to work hard for the country’s traditional martial art to become a part of the Olympic programme.
Alongside cheerleading, Muay Thai was last week provisionally recognised by the International Olympic Committee and that paves the way for it to become an Olympic sport in the future.
The recognition will last for three years and during this period of time, it can be fully recognised at any of the IOC’s annual meetings or sessions.
Sakol said he was satisfied that Muay Thai has finally won the Olympic recognition after years of hard work.
In the past, there was conflict between ‘ruling’ bodies but now the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) is the only legitimate governing body of the sport.
“With the IFMA being recognised by the IOC as the governing body of the sport, there should not be any conflict,” Sakol said.
“However, the IFMA has only three years to push Muay Thai to gain full Olympic recognition.”
The governor added that from now on, the IFMA and the Amateur Muaythai Association of Thailand, both under the helm of Sakchye Tapsuwan, must work harder in terms of hosting tournaments and developing youth programmes as well as international activities.
They also have to ensure fairness in officiating, Sakol said.
“Without progress, it risks being excluded from the Olympic programme,” he said.
So far, there are 37 Olympic sports.
When a sport is fully recognised, it can apply to be included in the Olympic Games. The next IOC meeting will be held in Lima, Peru, in September 2017 when the host of the 2024 Summer Olympics will be announced.
The IFMA has about 135 national member federations and over 400,000 registered fighters.
In Lausanne last week, the International Cheer Union and the IFMA received provisional recognition from the IOC executive board — a first step on a long road to becoming a future Olympic sport.
They were among 16 sports bodies which applied for IOC recognition earlier this year, and they join 35 other sports on the list of recognised federations.
Cheerleading and Muay Thai will now be assured of US$25,000 in IOC funding per year.
They are also eligible to become parts of other development programmes and for access to contents of the IOC’s digital Olympic Channel.
IOC sports director Kit McConnell said the two federations were given provisional recognition for a period of up to three years.
During that time, the IOC executive board can recommend full recognition, another necessary step in the drawn-out path toward joining the Olympic programme.
McConnell said the cheerleading federation has over 100 national federations and nearly 4.5 million registered competitors.
“It is a sport with growing popularity, a strong youth focus in schools and universities and we noted that,” he said.