Buakaw wins hearts of Muay Thai fans with his show in Washington DC
A Muay Thai performance led by Buakaw Banchamek, regarded as one of Thailand’s finest exponents of the martial art, received an enthusiastic response from fans in Washington DC on Sunday (July 2).
The performance at the National Mall was a part of this year's "Sawasdee DC Thai Festival" to celebrate 190 years of Thai-US diplomatic relations.
The festival on Sunday highlighted the strong relationship between Thailand and the US, and was an expression of the Thai government's policy to promote the five soft powers internationally, comprising food, film, fashion, fighting and festival.
The Muay Thai performance was also a part of the project to strengthen diplomatic relationships in cooperation with the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations, the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand, National Sports Development Fund and the Sports Authority of Thailand.
The project aims to create cooperation between Muay Thai associations worldwide, boost the reputation among boxers and boxing gyms, generate revenue from Muay Thai-related products and services, and lobby for the inclusion of Muay Thai in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Similar performances would be organised in four countries to promote Muay Thai internationally, namely in Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Morocco.
