My Word Is My Bond-WBC fulfilling Its Promise To A King 

Twenty-four years ago Lifetime President of the World Boxing Council Jose Sulaiman and General Kovid Bhakdibhumi WBC Vice President and President of the Asian Boxing Council made a solemn promise to the King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej, to nurture, develop and spread Muay Thai globally.

Today Muay Thai is practised, revered and cherished in more than one hundred and twenty countries…and counting. To continue the momentum, for the first time, the World Boxing Council 63rd Annual Convention, will combine and incorporate the first ever Muay Thai Convention  November 30^th to December 5th.

The Official Announcement was made at the Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico City. Thai Ambassador His Excellency Rooge Thammongkol said Thailand and Mexico are currently celebrating fifty years of diplomatic relations and it is a privilege and an honor to welcome WBC President and General Thanapol Bhakdibhumi the Executive Secretary of WBC Muay Thai and the son of General Kovid. General Thanapol explained that Muay Thai is a sport which can trace back its origins more than eight hundred years and it is a manifestation of a culture involving much more than a bout up in the ring.

Three men and a woman, who are highly skilled practitioners of Muay Thai,  gave an exhibition of its finer points and its choregraphed movements. Two of them sparred with exquisite, fluid movements yet highly disciplined restraint.

World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman presented The Ambassador with a special WBC Belt and former World Champions Humberto ”Chiquita” Gonzalez, Jose Antonio Aguirre, Adrian Hernandez and Jose Luis Bueno, who each fought in Thailand with distinction, were presented with WBC Green and Gold Sash Medals. This magnificent quartet will be Special Ambassadors of the Twin Conventions.  The WBC Flag was presented by Christiane Manzur Mexico Chair of WBC Cares to Koy, Wife of General  Thanapol Bhakdibhumi.

Honoring the promise made by the WBC to the King of Thailand has been a fundamental, plus central theme and a driving force in developing and continuing to expand Muay Thai. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said: ”It has been rewarding, humbling and highly motivating to see the development of WBC Muay Thai around the World and Mexico is powerful. I was in Monterrey in February for an international tournament and in May we will have another tournament there. The United States and Europe are very strong in Muay Thai participating with great success.

”We combined the WBC Women`s Convention in Hamburg with the WBC Convention and now we are gathering WBC Muay Thai, by giving  the right and due respect plus platform. This is our eighth WBC Convention in Thailand. This will be the fifth in Bangkok, and we also had Conventions in Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Thailand was one of my Father`s favorite destinations in all aspects.”

General Bhakdibhumi said: ”My Father was very grateful to be entrusted with this task for His Majesty along with Don Jose to lead and promote Muay Thai around the World and now Muay Thai is very popular. This will be the first ever Muay Thai Convention along with the WBC 63rd Convention, so we will organize together in a partnership, collaboration and mutual benefit, because we are the heart and soul of fighters to build and to grow all around the world. This is our objective.”

He also applauded the inclusion of Muay Thai bouts on the same bill as important Boxing Championship bouts saying the exposure is so important in the same ring, but with different rules, commenting: ”My Father is very proud of what we have done in the past and up to now. He always asks me how it`s going and I have to update him every week. We can expand Muay Thai even more and we welcome people to Thailand to practice Muay Thai. It is a magnificent Ambassador for our people and our Country.”