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Published on November 21, 2007

Nearly 8,000 underage children have now entered professional boxing rings and face the risk of physical injury including brain damage, according to a survey by the Ramjitti Institute.

Most of the young boxers come from the Northeast.

For each fight, a child boxer earns between Bt50 and Bt600 - half of which he must give to his boxing camp.

"Because these children are younger than 15, they cannot register themselves as boxers and are therefore not protected by boxing laws," Deputy Social Development and Human Security Minister Poldej Pinpratheep told a seminar yesterday.

The laws entitle injured boxers to compensation if they are injured during a match.

Held to mark Universal Children's Day yesterday, the seminar discussed how to protect child boxers. More than 300 people, including boxing promoters and boxing camp owners attended the event at the Prince Hotel.

Poldej disclosed findings from a Child Watch Project survey conducted by the Ramjitti Institute.

"Most young boxers want to earn money for their education and their families. However, after they enter professional fights, they often miss their classes and are finally pressured by their teachers to quit," Poldej said.

He said boxing also affected the brain and joint development of young boxers.

"If their development is adversely affected, the children may become undersized," Pojdej added.

Dr Uthen Pandee, a lecturer at Ramathibodi Hospital's emergency medicine department, said punches usually hit the young boxers' head, face, eyes, teeth and oral cavities. Teeth are often dislodged. In some cases, young boxers sustain brain damage, he said.

According to Uthen, some boxers faced abrupt paralysis, while others will experience slow mobility and deteriorating memory when they become middle-aged.

Chatchai Komaratat, who heads Chulalongkorn University's academic and research service centre, said underage boxing could really subject youngsters to brain damage.

"If boxing organisers follow academic principles, risks can be minimised by almost 100 per cent," he said.

He said these principles required the use of protective gear such as headguards and that boxers be matched with an opponent of similar height, age and weight in the ring.

"We should clearly promote the fact that boxing matches by young children will not focus on violence. Also, we should lay down proper qualifications for boxing schools, boxing camps and its executives," he said.

Chatchai said authorities such as the Education Ministry, the Sports and Tourism Ministry and boxing associations should work together to ensure boxing safety among children.

Sappasit Khumpraphan, who heads the Centre for the Protection of Children's Rights Foundation, said child boxing should be limited to shows - not for professional fights.

"If young boxers have to really box and fight, rules must be carefully written to ensure children's safety," he said.

Sappasit commented that the Children Protection Act in fact banned children from fighting in the ring but the Thai Boxing Act allowed children to fight.

Pinsinchai Boxing Camp owner Sawek Pinsinchai said most young boxers came from poor families and wanted to earn money from fighting.

"We have doctors ready by the ringside," Sawek said, adding that children must start learning the art of Thai boxing from the age of seven or eight to excel. "If you wait till the age of 15, it's too late," he said.

Sawek said the government should enforce safety measures but should not bar children from professional boxing rings.

Meanwhile, at another seminar, Health Service Support Department director-general Dr Supachai Kunaratanapruk yesterday disclosed that the number of abused women and children seeking help from Peungdai centres across the country increased to 17,170 people this year.

"This means 47 victims a day," Supachai said, adding this number did not include victims who had not come forward.

Last year, the number of victims reporting to Peungdai centres stood at 37 a day, up from 32 a day in 2005.

The Nation