Overseas students pass the Phuket Muay Thai test
A GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM China who recently visited Phuket to study Muay Thai have been officially presented with certificates denoting they had passed the course.
The 100-strong group took part in the 10-day “TY Training The Trainer @Phuket Thailand” course which ran between Apr 7-17 at the T&Y Muay Thai gym on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong.
The course was organised by local company T&Y Group in collaboration with the Sports Association of Phuket and is part of the government’s soft power drive of promoting the national sport to boost tourism and revenue into the country.
The course had a specific focus on developing the requisite skillset to enable the students to become qualified trainers of the sport themselves, therefore allowing them to teach others when back in their homeland.
This included general combat techniques involving punching, kicking and the correct use of knees and elbows as well as learning the science behind muscle relaxation, a key component in reducing fatigue, stiffness and injury.
Officials certificates were distributed to the students on Apr 17 at a ceremony at Kan Eng restaurant in Chalong overseen by Thammawat Wongcharoenyot, president of the
Sports Association of Phuket. However, it was not confirmed exactly how many of the visiting party were students on the course and therefore had received certificates.
Joining Mr Thammawat were Damrong Chaisena, Director of the Phuket office of the Sports Authority of Thailand; Ratchadaphon Oin, Director of the Phuket Tourism and
Sports office; and Prachan Pachantabutr, Vice President of the Sports Association of Phuket.
Following the official presentation of certificates to students there was a dinner and a live Muay Thai performance by several local athletes.
It has not been confirmed by officials connected to the “TY Training The Trainer @Phuket Thailand” course whether future overseas delegations will visit Phuket to complete similar courses.
However, given Phuket’s standing as an internationally renowned centre for training and developing local and international talent, it seems likely that further similar courses will be staged.
There are 43 officially registered
Muay Thai camps across the island, including the famous Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA gyms, while the island also boasts two top-class standard boxing stadiums in Patong Beach Boxing Stadium and Bangla Boxing Stadium.
A raft of local and international talent has either been based in Phuket or graced the various Muay Thai gyms here at some stage on their way to starring on the global stage through promotions such as the UFC and ONE Championship; Alexander Volkanovski, Anatoly Malykhin, Loma Lookboonmee, Rafael Fiziev, Petr Yan, Valentina Shevchenko, Celest Hansen and Israel Adesanya are just a handful of such examples.
The Phuket News