Tinian hosts Thai boxing

As part of a series of sports highlights in CNMI this year, Tinian is gearing up for the first Tinian 2000 Asia Pacific Muay Thai Boxing Championship which will be held on Aug. 5, 2000 starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Tinian Gymnasium.

The Hong Kong & Macau Free-Fighting Association in conjunction with Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, the Tinian Mayor’s Office and Marianas Visitor’s Authority will hold its first international Muay Thai boxing event outside an Asian country.

The ancient art of Muay Thai boxing dates back to late 13th century in Thailand. The national sport of Thailand, Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, as the Thai people call it, is considered superior to international boxing as an art of self-defense being that its approach resembles to a real free-for-all fight. It ranks second to professional boxing of the West.

For the past nine years, the Hong Kong & Macau Free-Fighting Association has participated in different international grand tournaments in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and mainland China.

These tours helped promote Thai boxing in the Asia Pacific region. And now with its first tournament in the CNMI, the group hopes to advance Thai boxing’s popularity among sports enthusiasts in the Marianas, and hopefully to other sports aficionados in neighboring islands.

This year’s Muay Thai boxing championship features some of the best fighters from Asia — Korea’s champion Kim Sung Won will pit against People’s Republic of China’s Liu Da Wai, who previously won the “Hong Kong Boxing King” title.

Also from China, Liu Fei who won 78 over 80 different scale tournaments, will be matched against Thailand’s Wanchana Wongrat. Nicknamed the “Killer King” in Hong Kong and Australia, Nick M. from New Zealand will fight against China’s Tang You Kai. Another bout will be that of Takahiro Sasara, one of Japan’s favorites, against Chumpong Chumputhong of Macau.

Other champion boxers who will join the tournament this August include Heo Yoon Jae (Korea), Sandaj (Thailand), Bob Fujii (Japan), Yu Pei Bin and Qi Le Ping (both from Hong Kong), Shan Chapman and David Gahan (both from New Zealand).

Opportunities to meet the contestants before the big event will be held at Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino and a similar gathering in Saipan will also be set with dates and venues to be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the big event will be available from third week of July at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino. Call the Casino Guest Services at (670) 328-2233 for more information.
General admission is $50 and ringside is $500. A 50 percent discount will be given to CNMI and Guam residents and nonresident workers.