THE TV7 STADIUM
THE TV7 STADIUM
Special report by Serge TREFEU (2009)
The stadium TV7 makes left four more important stadium of the country with that of Lumpinee, Radja and stadium of Omnoï. He is almost classified at the same level of most side as is Lumpinee Stadium and above Radja Stadium and above Omnoi Stadium!
Opened for several years the stadium TV7 belongs to the famous promoter Mr Peerapong Theeradejpong (Mister Chun) who holds 50 % of parts with the army. This stadium has for peculiarity of this placed in the studios of one of the biggest channel of television of the country, the TV7. The studios of the TV7 are behind the former terminal of the Bus the North (Moochit), in front of Chatuchak Park. Of a smaller accommodation facilities with regard to the stadium of Lumpinee (6000 places) and stadium of Radja (5000 places),
he can contain all the same 3000 persons. And on every Sunday after noon, only day of opening, he is always crammed. Because anyone of the Muay Thai aficionados and the punters doesn’t want to miss the ritual boxing show of Sunday in the TV7. Because besides offering fights of high levels, the entrance is free!
It is for it that a system was established to attribute places without having of jostling.
From 11 am in the morning an important crowd waits in the entrance of studios under a hall in the shade of the ardent sun. Policemen give the signal for departure for the opening of the stadium. The policemen call, each one in his turn, people to put them on-line by groups of about twenty persons. In an almost military discipline these small groups, in single file, go quietly into the stadium.
Once the most people of the crowd accommodated, the rest of people little by little arrive to try to find a place. The slightest hidden recess is exploited, the stadium is full, in front of the boxing ring people sit on the ground and on terraces everybody stands. For farangs (foreigners) who come attended the matches generally one places near the boxing ring towards the TV presenters where there are chairs. The boxers and the important personalities arrive most by car and park in the just car park in front of the entrance of the stadium.
There are no changing rooms in the TV7, the boxers get ready outside in full air. Under the eye of the curious onlookers, the boxers are massed with the nammuay (heating oil) and their bandages prepared with accuracies.
Then once the threaded gloves were verified by the officials, nakmuays goes into the arena.
At 1:45 pm exactly the fights begin with six matches the main fight of which is the number 4. Four fights are live broadcast on the TV and are going to be seen by ten million viewers. Every Sunday it is the record of audience that reproduces throughout the year with more than 50 events annual!
The atmosphere is electric because the crowd, more compact than in Lumpinee and in Radja, is fired at the same time as the punters who are spread among her. Here the fights are always of a big intensity with beautiful opposition.
Indeed, to be able to fight in the TV7 it is necessary to possess a very good level. The fighters must have already beaten at least once a champion of the Radja or the lumpinee and also have won several times of sharpened in one of big stadium of the capital. To become then a champion of the TV7 is a big performance. Furthermore, the best fighter of the year of the stadium TV7 pockets the enormous 2 million baht sum!
The foreigners who have they the opportunity to fight in this great stadium are very rare. Until today only four foreigners among whom two French have they this honor,
French David Hergault (3 times), Australian Soren Monkontong (4 times), Spanish Joseph-Nicolas Garcia Nguere (Jo Spain, 1 time) and recently French Yohan Lidon.
During the fights which to link without time-out, near the boxing ring, there are often important personalities as well as former big champions who attend these furious fights.
As Mr Peerapong Theeradejpong (owner of the stadium TV7) himself, Samarth Payakaroon or still Somrack Kamsing!
Sometimes between the fights, live on the TV7, future big evenings are presented on the boxing ring. They announce great fights, fights for the belt of Lumpinee or Radja. The champions pose in front of cameras and photographers. It is the promotional interlude.
The stadium TV7 less known in the world than famous Radja Stadium and Lumpinee Stadium can be classified nevertheless also “Mythical Stadium” of Muay Thai. And it rightly seen the big champions who fight for years in the healthy of it prestigious stadium…
