Giving back is a huge part of Muaythai, and every year, Muaythai dedicates special awards to National Federations and individuals which have done outstanding work to use Muaythai to make a positive change. This year’s winner for the National Federations went to Peru for their “Sport is Your Gang’ initiative.
Under the leadership of Rodrigo Jorquera, the Peruvian Muaythai Federation partnered with an existing program called Alto Peru, which works with youth in several communities through sport, art and music. The team offers muaythai training to the marginalized youth from the projects, which in turn give them a chance to get their lives back on track. By taking kids off the street and training them, the team are able to show them that there is a better world out there, building character, self-respect and respect for others.
Essentially, the youth of Peru are able to learn and experience the pillars of Muaythai, which are: respect, honour, tradition, excellence, and fair-play, all which are very applicable to self-improvement and the betterment of others.
