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Published on November 22, 2007

Krissana "Mac" Jaroenwong, 12, said he could now afford an education with his earnings from boxing, which he took up two years ago. Mac began boxing for money prize six months ago, starting at Bt200 and now earning up to Bt600 per bout.

The sole child of separated parents, Mac lives with his grandparents in Chiang Mai's Hai Ya district. He now has Bt3,000 in saving and recently bought a 3.75 gramme gold necklace for his grandmother, he said.

Rattana Khuenkaew, owner of the Seripharb Gym which trains Mac, said Mac volunteered to box and no exercise overload had been forced on him. She said the gym had limited his bouts to only two a month and all child boxers practised only on weekends and were allowed to attend classes all week.

Twin sisters Phannipha "Bew" and Saowinee "Bow" Chaiyathes said boxing had caused them no visual or hearing impairment nor serious injuries but plenty of bruises. The girls, 14, said they now realised that it was important for child boxers to begin training at a young age if they wanted to be good.

Bew and Bow, whose ringnames are Taphao Kaew and Taphao Thong, were impoverished when they took up boxing at age seven at a gym in their home province of Kalasin. Both have won several major prizes in Thai boxing and have now turned to international boxing.

Bew is practising for a coming bout in Kalasin for an international title. If she wins, she will be qualified to challenge for a youth World Boxing Council title. The girls disagreed with efforts to control child boxing, especially Thai boxing, which is a traditional sport.

Dr Sombat Ritthidej, a deputy Faculty of Education dean at Maha Sarakham Rajabhat Institute who started the Child Watch Project, said he paid for his education with prize money from boxing, but only after entering adulthood.

"Children tend to give limited consideration to boxing and the hazards that go with it. They can easily get carried away by the cheers, compliments and victories," he added.

Somwang Khamthun, manager of Sor King Star Gym in Khon Kaen, said he had never heard of disabilities or stunted growth in children who boxed. Child boxers are graded by their skills anyway, meaning those not good enough will not be paid to box after a few years in the ring, he said.

He said many parents brought their sons, or daughters in some cases, to his gym themselves, after child boxing became popular. The young fighters are required to wear protective head and body gear and can fight for only three rounds in each bout.

Deputy Education Minister Varakorn Samkoses said there were around 20,000 child boxers under 15 in the Northeast alone and only about 100 of them made it to the famed rings like Lumphini or Rajdamnoen. Many stop boxing after sustaining a variety of injuries, especially to their heads and brains, he said.

 The Nation