The sport of kickboxing at the upcoming SEA Games hosted by Cambodia has been renamed “Kun Khmer” in place of “Muay,” a move that has upset athletes in Thailand.
While Thailand has elected not to send its Muay Thai athletes to the games, the Muay Lao National Federation is to send kickboxing athletes to participate in the SEA Games 2023, despite the disputed renaming of the kickboxing sport from Muay Lao/Thai to Kun Khmer.
But some Lao fighters are concerned that if they participate in the SEA Games, they may face bans from competing in future events in Thailand.
To better understand the situation on the ground, the Laotian Times interviewed professional Muay Lao athletes at the Lane Xang Martial Arts Academy, hearing their opinions and concerns on the name change of their sport from “Muay” to “Kun Khmer” at the upcoming SEA Games in Cambodia.
Click to view the video here or watch below.
