Prasit Warlam teaches the students of Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti the basics of Muay Thai in Guwahati on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Feb. 2: South East Asia Muay Thai boxing champion Prasit Warlam of Thailand today called for inclusion of the discipline in the Olympic charter like other Chinese martial arts.

The featherweight champion at Laos in Vietnam felt the traditional martial art of Thailand deserved to be in the Olympic charter “because it is even more sporting than some of its counterparts from China”.

Warlam and two of his compatriots are here to promote the sport, giving demonstrations in the ongoing 17th International Guwahati Trade Fair at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre. Accompanied by Maroki Overamae and Donhalim Yiborsu, Warlam has been staging exhibition bouts in a specially designed ring, which has turned out to be a major crowd-puller in the trade fair.

The trio is also imparting basic training to students from various schools of the city and hundreds of students have been attending the demonstration classes every morning.

Today it was the turn of 50 students from Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti to take part in the training programme.

“The people of the Northeast have the physical structure ideal for muay thai boxing. They only need proper training,” Warlam said about the trainees here, adding that he would be happy to train them if asked.

“Albeit all odds, the sport is gaining popularity as people have started realising its benefits in the mental and physical wellbeing of the practitioners. Regular practice of the sport can be better than any other form of physical exercise or meditation,” he said.

Warlam added that South East Asia and the US were trying to popularise the sport. “Major international events were being organised regularly in South East Asia these days. Similar is the case with the US and a number of Hollywood films have also adopted the sport as the theme. I hope promotion of the sport in India is going to provide a shot in the arm,” he added.