It is with great pride that we introduce Rafał Szlachta, a distinguished member of our Executive whose extensive accomplishments span across sports management, culinary arts, and academic pursuits.
As previous coach of “Raczadam,” Poland’s largest muaythai club, Rafał has played a pivotal role in sculpting the careers of numerous athletes, nurturing them into champions recognized on both national and international levels. His expertise and leadership extended to the national stage, where he served as the coach of Poland’s national muaythai team, steering Polish representatives to success in various global competitions.
Rafał’s passion for and influence in the sport of muaythai is further underscored by his tenure as the President of the Polish Muaythai Federation. Under his stewardship, the federation saw unprecedented growth, fostering the popularity of muaythai throughout Poland and enhancing its status on the world stage.
Beyond the sports arena, Rafał is the visionary behind “Samui Thai Restaurant,” Krakow’s first authentic Thai eatery, which he opened in 2009. This establishment, staffed by chefs from Thailand, not only reflects his passion for culinary arts but also acts as a cultural ambassador, introducing the rich traditions of Thai cuisine to the Polish community.
Academically, Rafał is as accomplished as he is in his professional life. He embarked on a doctoral dissertation at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Management in 2020, building on his earlier educational achievements, which include a degree from the University of Physical Education in Krakow, specialising in tourism and recreation, and studies in Territorial and Government Administration.
Rafał’s array of professional titles, including a sports manager and sports event organiser from the Department of Physical Culture and Sport, highlight his comprehensive expertise and commitment to excellence in every field he touches.
Our very own Rafał Szlachta is a true leader, innovator, and cultural bridge-builder. His multidimensional career and impact on both the sports and cultural landscapes are truly inspiring but let’s delve further back into his past and learn a little of how he started his martial arts journey in his own words.
As a child in primary school, I became fascinated with Kung Fu after watching the movie “Enter the Dragon.” I enrolled in Kung Fu training in my hometown. I had to be quite crafty because my mother was initially opposed. I was also an altar boy at church. This allowed me to initially “trick” my mother. I attended Kung Fu training, claiming I was at Altarboy meetings at the church. When my mother eventually found out, I was terrified. Fortunately, she appreciated how much I desired to train and allowed me to continue. The church where I served as an altar boy had its sports club. I quickly gained the approval and sympathy of the overseeing priest. I was given keys to the sports hall. This allowed me to invite friends, and we would come in the evenings to train additionally. During this time, I also experimented with other martial arts: Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Wonhwa Do, Judo. It was during this period that my coach began leading the first Muay Thai training sessions, which fascinated me greatly.
I completed my studies at the Economic High School, which provided me with a foundation in business. Already in my first year at the Academy of Physical Education in Krakow, I opened my first sports-tourism company. It was then that I won the Polish Championship and the Polish Cup in San Da fights, already training in Muaythai. At that time, there were no Muaythai competitions or federations in Poland. My greatest achievement was a silver medal at the full-contact European Championships of the WUMA federation in the United Kingdom. Knowing that there were already the first clubs training Muaythai in Poland, I decided to organize the Muaythai Federation in Poland. I registered the Polish Muaythai Federation and was elected president. At the same time, I bought a book on “how to create a website” and made the first Muaythai website in Poland. When I look at those early versions of the website in Google archives today, it amuses me greatly. They looked like they were made by a preschooler. But on the other hand, various clubs from all over Poland started to contact us, expressing their desire to engage in Muaythai. That’s how my tour across Poland began, from north to south, from east to west, promoting Muaythai. It was also during this time that I contacted IFMA and IAMTF via email. Fortunately, the first organization, IFMA, replied in a friendly manner. And so, for the first time, I flew to Thailand for the IFMA World Championships in 2001, where I took a referee course and started coaching courses. During this time, I also had the opportunity to meet General of the Royal Thai Army, Amnart Poosrisuk, from whom I learned the ancient fighting system of “muay boran”. Upon returning to Poland, I shared all the knowledge I gained by traveling across the country. In 2003, I organized the first full Muaythai competitions in Poland, which were a success as numerous athletes from all over Poland participated. These were also qualifiers for the IFMA Muaythai World Championships in Kazakhstan a few months later. Here, we won historic first medals for Poland at the Muaythai World Championships: gold and bronze, with three athletes competing. Both medalists later served as coaches for the Polish Muaythai team after retiring from their competitive careers. I was quickly elected to the board of IFMA. Since the European Muay Thai Federation was inactive, and I felt comfortable in the organizational area, I was elected Secretary-General of EMF. In the first year after my election, I organized the European Championships in Poland in 2008. Previous championships had been held in France in 2002. Unfortunately, there was a long break afterwards. The number of member countries in Europe began to increase rapidly. Since 2008, the European Championships have been held annually in various European countries. In 2014, the European Championships returned to Poland once again. The final gala took place in one of Europe’s largest sports halls, the “Krakow Tauron Arena.” The finals were broadcast live on TV, and a huge success was the sale of almost 10,000 tickets. I was then elected Vice President of IFMA. From the very beginning, I closely cooperated with IFMA and worked towards the development of Muaythai not only in Poland but also worldwide. Since 2012, I have participated in the SportAccord Convention, which was a crucial part of lobbying in the international sports community. In 2017, The World Games were held in Poland. Thanks to IFMA team efforts and the support of the Polish government, Muaythai was included in the TWG2017 sports program. Another milestone was the European Games in Poland, of which I was one of the initiators to have them held in Krakow, my hometown. I knew that until then, we had not been able to include Muaythai in the program of previous editions of the European Games, even in Belarus, where the president of the Belarusian Muaythai Federation was the Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus. Therefore, when the decision was made that EG2023 would be held in Poland, I decided to go to the capital (Warsaw) and work for the Polish government. Thanks to these efforts and the support of the government, Muaythai was included in the official sports program of the European Games.
We hope this gives you a small insight into the accomplished Man we know and admire – Rafal Szlachta, current IFMA Vice President & Executive Member.
