Muay Thai teen dies

Video taken with a mobile phone shows the referee of the bout stepped in too late to save the clearly stricken Anucha Thasako (left) from the last punch that resulted in his death.
Video taken with a mobile phone shows the referee of the bout stepped in too late to save the clearly stricken Anucha Thasako (left) from the last punch that resulted in his death.

Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat has vowed to forward a draft amendment to the Boxing Act to the cabinet for consideration as quickly as possible to protect young boxers, after a 13-year-old Muay Thai fighter died after being knocked out in the ring last weekend.

He said yesterday the ministry has received the draft amendment and related recommendations from the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

"This draft stipulates the criteria concerning ages of young people who want to compete in this sport," said Mr Weerasak. The draft is under the ministry's consideration, he said, adding, "The ministry will rush through the process to forward it to the cabinet for consideration as quickly as possible."

The pledge came after Anucha Thasako, or Nong Lek, the 13-year-old Muay Thai fighter, lost his life after a fight in Wat Khlong Mon in Samut Prakan's Phra Samut Chedi district on Saturday. Anucha was named Petmongkol Sor Wilaithong in Muay Thai circles.

He was competing in a charity bout that pitted him against Put Lukromklao, who has the Muay Thai name of Fahmai Wor Sudprasert. Anucha was knocked out by a punch during the third round and hit his head hard on the ring as he fell.

He was rushed to Bangchak Hospital, then to Samutprakarn Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Anucha was said to have fought in more than 170 fights since he was eight years old.

Dr Adisak Palitpolkarnpim, head of the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre at Ramathibodi Hospital, said the existing Boxing Act has no legal limits for the minimum age of boxers.

It only states that boxers younger than 15 must be registered, and a declaration must be made about the safety equipment provided for them.

In practice, however, most failed to register and no safety equipment was provided in their matches, he said, adding the act also does not specify necessary equipment.

Citing research, Dr Adisak said the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) brain scans of more than 300 children, covering those who boxed and another who did not, show that those with extensive boxing experience suffered brain haemorrhaging and damage to their brain cells and fibres. Regular boxers were also found to have lower IQs, he said.

He said the amendment would totally ban those younger than 12 from the sport. Boxers between 12 and 15 must be provided with safety equipment, particularly head guards, he said.

He believes more than 100,000 children aged 15 or younger engage in boxing. 

Learn from listening

Click play to listen to audio for this story, or download to save the file
: :

Vocabulary

  • ban: officially not allowed to do something - การห้ามอย่างเป็นทางการ
  • bout: a boxing or wrestling match - การแข่งขัน
  • criteria (noun): (singular "criterion") a set of standards that is used for judging something or for making a decision about something - บรรทัดฐาน
  • declaration: an official statement that something is true - การยืนยัน, คำให้การ
  • draft: something, e.g., a written proposal for changes to the constitution, a law, etc. that may be changed before it is finished - ร่างกฎหมาย
  • haemorrhage (verb): to lose a lot of blood from an organ inside your body because of an injury or another medical condition - ตกเลือด, เลือดไหลไม่หยุด
  • IQ (noun): ‘intelligence quotient’; a measurement of a person’s intelligence that is calculated from the results of special tests - ระดับสติปัญญา
  • knocked out: somebody made to become unconscious, usually by hitting them very hard - ชกจนสลบ, เตะจนสลบ
  • pledge: a serious promise - คำมั่้นสัญญา
  • pronounced dead: officially confirmed to have died -
  • punch: a hard hit made with the fist (= closed hand) - การชก, การต่อย

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT
MORE IN SECTION