The President of the International Federation of MuayThai Amateur (IFMA), General Vorayudh Mesommonta described the ongoing World Cup 2002--6th International Amateur MuayThai Championship--started from 19th July ending on July 25--as “history” because the event coincided with the 50th birth anniversary of His Highness, the Crown Prince of Thailand, the future King of the country. Addressing IFMA World Meeting at the conference hall of the SC Park Hotel here today, the General informed the MuayThai representatives of over fifty countries attending that IFMA was the only organization that had the privilege of having Royal Patronage thereby “no one will be able to organize any tournament such as World Cup 2002”. “If any organization organizes they are doing so against the Royal Highness”, the IFMA President cautioned.

General Mesommonta also disclosed that Amateur MuayThai under IFMA had already been recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and it (Amateur MuayThai) was in the process of being pushed to the future Olympic events. “It has already been included in the 13th Asian Games in 1998”, he stated.

He also made it clear that once the Amateur MuayThai included into the future Olympic, the chances of winning many medals by Thais as expected by many countries would be minimized, because Thais were not having big fighters. “You know we are small people comparing with that of European people” he stated. “Therefore most of the categories particularly above 60 kilos will be snatched away by these European fighters”.

The IFMA President also announced that the IFMA World Headquarters in Bangkok would try to assist those underdeveloped countries in terms of material and other financial support if they were determined to host any of the future national Amateur MuayThai championships in their countries so also International Amateur MuayThai Championships.

“We will try to help you to advance Amateur MuayThai in your countries”, he stated. “The only thing is that you should inform the World headquarters two months in advance so that we can organize in proper way”. During the IFMA World meeting, the General also announced of three International Amateur MuayThai events. He said European Amateur MuayThai Championship would be staged from 26th October to November 3 2002 in Paris, France, Russian Championship in May 2003 and World Championship in October 2003 in Kazakhstan and asked all the MuayThai Representatives coming from various parts of the World to be prepared for the events.

He also disclosed that there were seminars and workshops of MuayThai against drugs in various parts of the world and called upon the member-countries to organize the same in their respective countries. During the World Meeting, the new Constitution of IFMA was unanimously adopted by voice vote.

Her Majesty, the Princess of Thailand, would distribute the prizes to the winning contestants at closing ceremony of the ongoing World Cup 2002--6th International Amateur MuayThai Championship--on 25th July.

It may be mentioned that the Indian Amateur MuayThai team has already got two bronze medals in 48 kilos and 54 kilos categories respectively. They are L Nehkholien Haokip from Manipur and Lanuimti from Nagaland.