From April 25 to 30 this year in Dubai, the Atlantis, The Palm Hotel hosted the annual International SportAccord Dubai-2010 International Congress, which was organized by the Dubai Sports Council. Congress and Exhibition SportAccord Dubai 2010 was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, prime minister of the UAE and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. The event was coordinated by the wife of the ruler of Dubai, Her Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, who is the president of the Dubai Sport Accord organizing committee, the president of the international equestrian federation and a member of the UAE from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In the meantime, the Muay Thai Federation is waiting for the final decision of the International Olympic Committee on this issue, its president Dr. Sakchay Tapsuvan and IFMA Secretary General Stefan Fox, who arrived in Dubai, decided to please all Muay Thai fans in the UAE with unique morning sports sessions.
For two days, all the attention of the guests of Atlantis Hotel, The Palm was riveted to the beach. There, gathering at exactly seven in the morning, Muay Thai lovers trained, among whom were both professional athletes from the Dubai “Combat Martial Arts Academy” led by its president Vladimir Burdun, as well as tourists and idle vacationers who joined them. Spectacle, I will report to you! And the funniest thing was that it turned out that the black sports satin shorts and white T-shirts so hated by me from the school bench were literally for everyone! Regardless of age and physique.
Try on what? It seems that I was distracted ... Morning workouts were held with subsequent “fights” with sparring partners to the vigorous cries of Stefan Fox, who showed how to strike and beat back, how to breathe and move correctly, and at what intervals you need to take breaks.
Dr. Sakchay, president of IFMA, also participated in training, giving advice to beginners and tweaking the actions of professionals. It was hot, fine golden sand flew from under the bare feet of the trainees in different directions, but the spectators' movements seemed light and laid-back, although sweatshirts darkened with sweat showed general tension and fatigue. However, the joy of studying with real pros, such as Dr. Sakchay and Stefan, as well as the certificate promised to all participants confirming the fact of training with IFMA experts at the clean, untouched beach of Atlantis Hotel, The Palm, was added to the physical sensations. And that already sounded intriguing. An hour passed quickly. Under the same vigorous exclamations of Stephen, the participants shook hands and went home. And I took this opportunity to ask a few questions first to Dr. Sakchay and Stefan Fox.
Dr. Sakchay, we are pleased to welcome you to Dubai. Please tell me how often do you conduct such trainings for lovers of Muay Thai?
This is our first beach workout as part of SportAccord. We liked the atmosphere in Dubai and the conditions that Atlantis, The Palm has, so we decided to give it a try, and I think it worked out.
There are many world champions in Thai boxing, what countries are they from?
In Muay Thai there are 17 categories for champions, so every year we have 17 world champions. Several, by the way, live and train in Dubai. I am very pleased.
When do you think Muay Thai will become an Olympic sport?
Now we are awaiting official recognition of the International Olympic Committee. This is the first step. After that, Muay Thai can hope that it will become one of the Olympic species in the near future. I think by the end of this year or early next.
How dangerous is Muay Thai compared to other martial arts?
Compared to other martial arts, in Muay Thai there are more points of contact with the opponent during the battle - these are palms, elbows, knees, and feet. Punches in Thai boxing are also delivered at full strength, without restrictions. Perhaps this is the danger. On the other hand, Muay Thai is a unique type of martial arts for keeping the body in good shape, for stretching and for self-defense. Therefore, he has so many fans around the world, including women.
When to start practicing Muay Thai?
In Thailand, children begin to study at the age of 6-8 years, this is part of the school curriculum. I started studying at the age of 12 and continue to this day.
How many countries have IFMA branches in the world?
IFMA is the central international authority of Muay Thai, and today there are branches of the Federation in 120 countries of the world, of which 6 or 7 in the Middle East. In this region, people love different kinds of sports; there are many good boxers and champions here. Muay Thai is also very much loved in Russia, there are many of our followers, there are even three or four world champions. So, we have someone to work in the future.
Stefan, how was your training?
Wow! Dubai has great conditions for outdoor activities, especially for those who flew from Europe or Canada, where the summer is short. The beach is excellent, the sun is wonderful. All is well! When did you start Muay Thai? At the age of 12. At 16 he completed basic training. For 5 years he became the world champion, and at the age of 32 he retired and began to work at IFMA. How many years I will not say that you do not know my age.
In which part of the world, besides Thailand, is Muay Thai the most popular, according to your observations? In Europe, especially in Russian-speaking countries - in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine. People in these countries love sports, and most of them are very strong and physically resilient. Muay Thai is well suited to them, because it is more than just a sport, it is a whole philosophy based on mutual respect. When the battle begins - we are enemies, as soon as it ends - we are the closest friends. This is the essence of Muay Thai. Therefore, I love Russian-speaking athletes, they clearly go to their goal and understand the difference between combat and human relations.
What is primary - philosophy or martial art?
They go hand in hand. Before starting the fight, the athlete must perform a certain ritual, dance. Without knowledge of philosophy and culture, a person will not be able to learn Muay Thai, which means that he will not get into the ring.
Where can I see the fights?
In August this year, we are hosting the SportAccord Combat Games in Beijing for the first time, where 88 of the world's best athletes from various martial arts, including Muay Thai, will meet. Among them will be, in my opinion, eight Russian athletes. This is a unique competition, because for the first time they will bring together the gold medalists of the Olympic Games and world champions in various types of martial arts. Can we hope that someday such competitions will take place in Dubai? Yes, we held talks here with the Dubai Sports Committee, which promised to provide our Federation with state support. We are proud that our champions are already here and are training at the "Martial Arts Academy" with Vladimir, but I am sure that we will bring up many more champions in the UAE. After all, a person can achieve everything if he wants it. Thanks Stefan. Until we meet again.
SportAccord is an annual international sports congress and exhibition, which is a meeting place for representatives of more than a hundred international sports federations that are members of GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations), ASOIF (Association of International Federations of Summer Olympic Games) and AIOWF (Association of International Winter Federations) Olympic Games). The congress and exhibition are sponsored by the General Association of International Sports Federations (AGFIS) and AIOWF.
They include open conferences and thematic seminars. SportAccord includes the Congress of Associations and the General Assemblies, which are held annually. SportAccord is an annual meeting of large and influential figures from around the world.
This is a unique opportunity to get acquainted and establish business contacts with international sports federations, including associations of the Olympic Games, with representatives of cities where large international tournaments will be held, as well as with lawyers and companies that own exclusive rights to broadcast major world competitions, other large companies and specialists in the world of international sports.
The author thanks Vladimir Burdun, president of the Academy of Combat Martial Arts, for his help in organizing the interview.
