By Mauricio Sulaimán
Son of José Sulaimán / WBC President
My father, José Sulaimán, found himself in Thailand, which received him with unimaginable hospitality and loyalty, when the WBC arrived in that nation, in the early 1980s. This inspired the already latent talent of Thai warriors to conquer a large number of championships and world championships, since before that, very few fighters had strayed from Muaythai to enter the international boxing arena. My father had the honor of being with King Bhumibol Adulyadej on five occasions, who in their last meeting asked the WBC to bring the sport to the world, since it had fragmented into many other disciplines.
As I write this column, I am in Venice to witness a historic tournament: the WBC Muaythai World Amateur Cup. With 440 athletes, from 49 countries and 1,400 attendees. They competed for three days in four rings, from sunup to sundown, to reach the sunset final, which will take place in just a few hours. Continue reading “WBC Muaythai World Amateur Cup in Venice”