Giving back to society is a huge part of muaythai, and IFMA’s Sport is Your Gang social campaign, which won the SportAccord 2014 Spirit of Sport Award, is implemented in many countries through our different federations around the world. This week, we would like to highlight the South African Amateur Muaythai Federation for their social work with Sport is Your Gang.
Earlier this month on the 18th on July, our South African Federation held a 67-minute “Kick & Roll the Habit” charity event in honour of Nelson Mandela’s birthday. South African stats on crime, drugs, and women and children abuse are extremely high; the “Kick & Roll the Habit” Muaythai Challenge serves as a platform to kicking all bad habits and abuse away, cleansing the body mind and soul.
Everyone from the community was involved, from holding kick-pads to encouraging the youth and young adults as they kicked their way non-stop for 67 minutes to raise money for the foundation. Last year, in 2013 the total number of kicks by youth and young adults in 67 minutes was 19,643 kicks. This year, the recorded number of kicks by the participants went up to 22,743 kicks in 67 minutes.
Congratulations to the South African Federation for doing an amazing job with supporting underprivileged kids, taking them off the streets and giving them hope and encouragement to kick the habit. Muaythai truly is more than just a sport as its students from all walks of life get to learn and practice respect, honour, tradition, excellence and fair-play the pillars of Muaythai, and essentially pillars for a good life.
