Muay Thai sets sights on Olympic glory, but not everyone is thrilled

BANGKOK: Thailand’s national martial art Muay Thai could soon make its debut on the world’s biggest sporting stage, the Olympics.

The combat sport already has an increasingly global audience, with many would-be fighters making trips to its birthplace to immerse themselves in the culture.

After the inclusion in numerous multi-sport events such as the World Games earlier this year, the next step is for Muay Thai to be featured at the Olympics. But efforts to promote it as a global sport have been met with resistance from some corners.

The International Olympic Council (IOC) has already recognised it as an Olympic sport and it is eligible to be included in the Summer Games if organisers want to do so.

Mr Stephen Fox, secretary general of the International Federation of Muaythai Associations, the only Muay Thai body recognised by the IOC, is pushing for it to happen.

While elevating the sport to the global stage may seem like a good thing, some critics fear that the international exposure will dilute or even do away with the sport's cultural heritage and traditions, such as the pre-fight rituals “wai kru” (greeting the teacher) and “ram muay” (boxing dance).

But some have fought back, saying these detractors just want to maintain their monopoly on the martial art.

“We want Thailand to be the motherland. The tradition, the culture, all of this needs to be fostered and promoted. That's why we have in our contract that a major championship must be held in Thailand every two years,” said Mr Fox.

“But they think that we are controlling them, and that we are trying to put a sport under one umbrella and regulate it. Our aim is to protect the most important assets any society has, any sport has, we try to protect our youth. Because if we