The 2022 World Games Champions and former IFMA World Champions, Anueng “Capitan” Khatthamarasri, the crowd favorite of the RWS Super Lightweight Division and Thanet “Thananchai” Nitutorn, the underdog of the RWS Super Welterweight Division, have been crowned Rajadamnern World Series Champions in their respective divisions over the past weeks giving the Thai National Team travelling to the World Combat Games an edge and serious momentum with just over a week to the Opening Ceremony of the 2023 World Combat Games in Riyadh.
The 2x IFMA World Champion and 2x World Games Champion, the one and only, “Capitan” of muaythai, Aneung Khatthamarasri, was the crowd favorite of the Super Lightweight Division and won unanimously, the final of the Rajadamnern World Series on September 30th under the support of IFMA with prize money earnings of 3-million-baht.
The Capitan said that the RWS fight series brings the best athletes from around the world together and showcases how one can be a superstar of muaythai but at the same time be given the opportunity to represent the Kingdom of Thailand in Olympic recognized multisport games.
Capitan stated that as a Thai athlete, he is proud to wear the Olympic Committee of Thailand colors and national track suit and after winning the IFMA World Championships and the gold medal (for the second time) at the IOC recognized World Games last year in Birmingham, now he is even more proud and motivated to be part of the event of all events, the World Combat Games and to be together with the elite athletes from the Olympic and non-Olympic sports where muaythai, no doubt, will be one of the most outstanding.
Capitan further described the proud feeling of being invited to the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and in the past, having the incredible honor of being a part of the Thai Team being sent off by His Majesty the King which can only be given to IFMA as the IOC recognized muaythai organization.
The Capitan continued that even though he is the best in Thailand in his weight division and technically the best in the world in his weight division after winning the IFMA World Championships and the 2022 and 2017 World Games, the Combat Games, with the new Super 4 format, will be a challenge for anyone and anything is possible. From the first to the last day of competition, not only skill and determination will be required but it will also be a mind game of chess.
Capitan further stated that as a Thai, he is extremely proud that the cultural divisions such as the Wai Kru and also Mai Muay are official medal sports and he will personally attend the Para and Special competitions as this will be a historical debut.
Thananchai, former IFMA World Champion and current 2022 World Games Champion was the underdog in the finals of the RWS Super Welterweight Division against Thai superstar and former IFMA World Champion, Yodwicha. Thanachai went from underdog to the king of the division, shocking the world and upsetting Yodwicha as the favorite by a close unanimous decision to become the new RWS Super Welterweight champion just last Saturday, October 7th, winning 3-million-baht in prize money and sealing off two fresh All-Star players on the Thai National Team heading to the World Combat Games in which muaythai will be featured from the 28th-30th of October in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Thananchai stated that the National Team of Thailand for the upcoming 2023 World Combat Games is probably the strongest of all former editions to be sent. He stated that in the past, athletes like Yodsanklai and Sawsing all qualified to be on the Thai team but this year there are not only one but two RWS Champions representing the Thai team defeating big names like Yodwicha and Nuenglanlek (and many others in the tournament) to qualify for the Games and on their journey towards the World Combat Games and he couldn’t be more proud.
Thananchai continued that everyone in Thailand understands that the World Combat Games is like the “Olympics of Martial Arts” for many because many athletes qualified through the IFMA World Championships, The World Games, European Games, etc, meaning, every division will be filled with the crème de la crème of muaythai.
The Motherland is ready and here we come Kingdom of Saudi Arabia!
