Boy, 8, turns to boxing to help family make ends meet
- Published: 7/01/2011 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Young Somjet Dajantra is 120 centimetres tall and weighs 23 kilogrammes. Each day he runs four kilometres, does chin-ups, works a punching bag and spars with a trainer for two hours after school.
Somjet Dajantra, 8, takes aim at a punching bag during practice at a boxing camp in Phitsanulok. CHINNAWAT SINGHA
He has packed under his belt a record of 19 fights: 14 wins and five defeats.
Somjet is eight years old. He has been boxing to earn money to support his family - his parents had to find work somewhere else so they left him with his grandmother - since he was in Prathom 1 (Grade 1). He is now in Prathom 2. Thai labour law prohibits children under 15 years from working. Some human rights activists have also condemned boxing by children as a form of torture.
Child rights advocate Wanlop Tangkhananurak, secretary-general of the Children Creation Foundation, said the Thai Boxing Act banned children under 15 years from fighting for a living.
Children under 15 years can fight only with parental approval, he said.
However, parents or guardians of young boxers usually claim their kids fight for entertainment, not to make a living, to avoid legal complications, Mr Wanlop said.
"Studies have shown that boxing affects the brain and possibly causes mental retardation among young boxers," he said.
But for Somjet, boxing is his dream. The fact he can make some money out of the sport to give to his grandmother and to buy his school supplies makes it even sweeter.
"I want to be a famous boxer," said Somjet, whose idol is Samson Luk Chao Poh Mahesak. "I also want to study up to the doctoral level. I want my grandmother to be happier and to live a more comfortable life." Somjet earned 300 baht from his first fight last year. He now has about 3,000 baht in his savings account.
Watcharin Thapthonglarng, the headmaster of Wat Mek Suwannaram school where Somjet studies, said the school helps monitor the time he spends with boxing to make sure his education does not suffer.
"We strictly do not allow Somjet to go into the ring before an exam. We also asked him to teach his schoolmates how to perform the wai khru moves which we use as patterns for exercise during the morning," Mr Watcharin said.
Somjet's grandmother, Thongkham Kham-art, 60, said she did not want her grandson to fight at first because he was still very young and she was afraid he would get hurt.
However, Somjet realised he could earn some money. After the first match, he moved out to stay at the boxing camp. He only comes by for a visit for one or two nights when he misses her.
Since Ms Thongkham has to take care of a two-year-old grandson, Theeraphol Buakham, who suffers from a thyroid condition, she cannot work. The money that Somjet gives to her helps make ends meet.
Somkuan Rungruang, head of the boxing camp, Khai Luk Wang Khilek, where Somjet trains, said he started the activity with the hope of steering children in the neighbourhood away from drugs or gaming activities. However, many of the children became interested in boxing so he had the camp registered. He has six boys training at the camp. Somjet is the youngest.
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