THE PETCHYINDEE GYM CAMP
The PETCHYINDEE GYM
special report by Serge TREFEU (2009)
Petchyindee Gym is the camp of the big promoter, Mr Virat Vichirarattanawong (Petchyindee Promotion). It is at present the promoter most influencing in Thailand and N ° 1 of the stadium Lumpinee. Indeed today the best boxers of the Thai circuit fight for Petchyindee who also has a great fighter in his Team. Many of the big champions are under contract with Petchyindee, he has moreover today the star of the country, Seanchai Sor Kingstar. But the list of the champions which fought for Petchyindee is very long Yodseanklai, Orono, Samkor, Kaolan, Singdam, Kongpipop, Nopparat, Attachai, Duansomphong, Sakadpetch, Kaew, Supachailak, etc. …
Mr Virat Vichirarattanawong makes however WBC Asian Boxing Concil the organization in Boxing of reference in Asia. And it is one of the promoter’s N°1 in Boxing in Southeast Asia, in 2005 he received the title from “Promoter of the year”!
The camp of Petchyindee is opened since around thirty year and it finds in the district of Bangkok Noi not far from the river Chao Praya which crosses Bangkok. He is situated in a maze of soï (alley) narrow. A white gate in the scaled paint which acts as entrance hides this immense camp.
His surface about 500 m2 is largely covered by a structure with a roof in sheet steel. The place is aerated well and very clean but rather rustic. About ten training bags, wide boxing ring and of the material of body-building in Thai allow the boxers to train daily in good condition. The training begins after noon at 3:30 pm after the jogging traditional.
The trainers makes the boxers work on paos while the others type in bags. Here made enormously work the boxers on paos, endless rounds. The clinch is also rigorous but less than in certain camps.
Five trainers among which two specialized in Boxing take charge of around thirty boxers. There are permanently 25 boxers of high levels, nakmuays 20 and 5 boxers of Boxing professional. This camp is a camp “Toymat” (specialist of fists) because we work it the Boxing a lot. Indeed great champions of the Noble Art training here as both star whom are Oleydong Sithsamerchai and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. Oleydong is the current world champion WBC of – 47 kg, he is unconquered in 30 fights (12 KO) with already two victorious defenses of his title!
And Pongsaklek (73 wins, 39 KO, 3 losses, 1 draw) was a world champion WBC of – 51 kg from 2001 till 2007 with 17 victorious defenses. In 2008 he loses his title but won again a belt “WBC interim” in 2009. In Boxing, he is at present considered as the best boxer in Thailand!
Pongsaklek and Oley has for sparing partner, Phetang (Lumpinee champion in Boxing in 111 lbs) and Riamphet (Lumpinee champion in Boxing in 108 lbs) who begins to rise in the international classification. These boxers often fight in Japan and to the Filipinas.
But this prestigious camp supplied naturally a great deal of big champions of Muay Thai. The former, in the 80s, which most stood out their passages are Vicharnoi Porntawee “The Immortal Boxer” (Radja champion, Lumpinee champion) and legendary Sagat Petchyindee who conquered 9 belts. Sagat (317 fights, Lumpinee champion, Radja champion, World Champion). A video game was even made for the effigy of this mythical fighter!
Then there was Jonthai (Radja Champion), Piisout (Radja Champion), Tawisalek (Lumpinee Champion) and at the beginning of 2000s two other big champions also showed themselves in Petchyindee Gym, Kongpipop and Yodseanklai. Kongpipop was twice a champion of the Lumpinee, the champion of Thailand, world champion WBC, winner of the Tournament Toyota and winner of the Tournament 5 stars Friend Chicken (2006). In this tournament in 2006 was gathered the best fighters of the country – 60 kg with Singdam (Thailand Champion, Lumpinee Champion), Sakadpetch (Radja Champion, Lumpinee Champion), Attachai (Lumpinee Champion, World Champion), Nopparat (Lumpinee Champion), Orono Wor Petchpun (Thailand Champion, World Champion), Duangsomphong (Lumpinee Champion), Seanchai (Lumpinee Champion) and Kongpipop!
When to Yodseanklai we know his magnificent fighter record’s current under the name of Yodseanklai Fairtex (Lumpinee Champion, Thailand Champion, World Champion WBC, WMC, WPMF, Asia Contendeur Champion) but before he fought under the name of Yodseanklai Petchyindee. He moreover gained his first belt of Lumpinee and the Tournament Toyota when he was still in the camp of Petchyindee.
Today the champions of the camp are Sam-A Thor Ratthanakiat (Lumpinee Champion in 122 lbs and 115 lbs, Thailand Champion in 122 lbs and 115 lbs), Rungphet Wor Sungprapai (champion of Thailand in 115 lbs), Kungwanlek Petchyindee (current Champion of Thailand in 118 lbs), Dokmaipa Wor Sungprapai (champion of Thailand in 126 lbs) and the phenomenal The Lek Wor Sungprapai (Omnoi champion) who is only 14 years old, all boxers are very well classified on the Thai circuit. So a boxer as Yodpet Wor Sungprapai (N°6 at present in Thailand in 112 lbs, Lumpinee champion) and Petjing Wor Sungprapai (current N°2 in Thailand in 105 lbs) completes Team Petchyindee.
Very few foreigner are trained here, some Japanese and an American walked on the boxing ring of Petchyindee Gym. The camp does not accommodate the foreigners because the rooms of the main building are reserved for the boxers of the camp.
But “farangs” is welcome to training for the 300-baht by day. Rented apartments in 2500 baht a month are quite close to the camp. It is advised to have a good level in Muay Thai to train in this camp. And if you wish to perfect your Boxing while working your techniques in Muay Thai, it is the ideal camp which you need …