2023 : The most remarkable year in the history of Muay Thai in Europe
Muay Thai is gaining popularity in Europe, one of the five continents recognized for featuring Muay Thai as a sport in the Olympic Games 2028.
This year is considered the best in the history of Muay Thai, as the sport was included in the competition at the European Games or "European Olympics" for the first time. The event took place in Poland from June 21 to July 2, 2023, and it was a significant success for the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations (IFMA) and Muay Thai as the national sport of Thailand. More than 30 member countries participated in the competition over a 5-day period. In addition to the matches, there were also Thai teams showcasing Muay Thai to promote and preserve the tradition of the sport.
Europe also hosted the IFMA Youth World Championships 2023 in Antalya, Turkey, from September 29 to October 7. With over 3,000 participants from 108 countries, the event saw several representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as witnesses, expressing their delight at the success of IFMA in developing youth through this competition.
The final event of 2023 in Europe is the "European Championship" from December 9 to December 14 in Turkey with over 600 participants.
Furthermore, there were elections for the executive committee of the European Muay Thai Federation. Sakchye Tapsuwan, the President of IFMA, presided over the election meeting.
Hasan Yildz, the President of the Turkish Muay Thai Federation, has been elected as the President, and Nadir Allouache, the President of the French Muay Thai Federation and a member of the Executive Committee of the French Olympic Committee, has been elected as the Vice President.
Yildz, the first-ever Turkish President of Muay Thai in Europe, expressed pride in the achievement and pledged to collaborate with the 50 Muay Thai federations in Europe, as well as with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and IFMA, to promote and disseminate Muay Thai under the principle of "One World One Muay Thai."
After the elections, Sakchye expressed his congratulations to the newly elected executives of the European Muay Thai Federation, acknowledging their excellent work in the past year.
While Charissa Tynan, Director General of the IFMA International Office in Lausanne, Switzerland, stated that IFMA is the sole Muay Thai Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
