THE CAMP KAFAI FASAÏ
THE CAMP KAFAI FASAÏ
special report by Serge TREFEU (2013)
This camp is situated in the village from Taso to 2 km of Baan Prasat in the region of Surin, in the Northeast of the Thailand. The Kafai Fasaï (Coffee of the Blue Sky) is a tiny camp at the bottom of a wood. His infrastructure is so archaic that the camp seems abandoned. The boxing ring, in full air, is pathetic state and punch bags are all half torn…
Kafai Fasaï was to create by Petdam Sakumuang, a former professional boxer who made his career in the camp Sit Palungnum to Buriram. Petdam made 90 fights of which 28 in the stadium of Lumpinee, he beat good boxers as Nongrarum, Singdam and Kaona!
PETDAM SAKUMUANG !
Petdam opened his camp in 2010 and named “Kafai Fasaï” in reference to his itinerant salesman’s small shop of coffee (Coffee in Thai says Kafai). His coffee, hot or iced, is considered as being one of the best of the district!
PETDAM WITH HIS ITINERANT TRADE OF COFFEE!
Petdam takes care more of his boxers by passion than to earn money. And in spite of conditions of dreadful trainings, the boxers of his camp bring good results since the opening of the camp…
The most experimented by the fighters is Fakamlang Kafai Fasaï who in 17 years has already made 150 fights with 110 victories. He fights in the category 118 lbs, often in the stadiums of Isaan but he also fought in Pattay and Bangkok!
FAKAMLANG KAFAI FASAÏ !
Two other boxers, the strongest of the camp, are Fasuchon Kafai Fasaï and Lungton Kafai Fasaï. Fasuchon is 13 years old and fights in 100 lbs, he gained 50 victories on his 80 fights!
When to Lungton, down from his 14 years, this small boxer of 30 kg, has already 110 fights to his credit with 90 victories!
THE TEAM KAFAI FASAÏ !
Only two boxers, on seven that counts the camp, sleep on the spot, the others go back home after the training…
These nakmuays youngs are real professional boxers, most of them don’t go any more to the school, they train every day to try to make their living thanks to the boxing. At dawn, they begin their daily jogging of 8 km, in the afternoon they shall make again a jogging but of 10 km, under a hot heat. From 7 am till 9:30 am, they train hard, then rest till 11 am when they lunch sets…
The trainer Petdam, during this time there makes his daily tour, he sells his drinks almost everywhere in the village…
SESSION OF CLINCH !
At 4 pm, the boxers take back the training which is going to end at about 6:30 pm. These youngs nakmuay make every day, twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, four rounds of five minutes for paos and 30 minutes of clinch. Their only rest day is Sunday…
LESSON TO PAOS!
Just a foreigner, an English boxer, came to train for Kafai Fasaï. ” It was a big black, a giant, he stayed only one day, he didn’t support the mosquitoes which pricked him when he trained ” confides me by laughing the owner of the place…
It’s true that mosquitoes teem in the camp but the boxers of the Kafai Fasaï don’t pay it any more attention, they train by thinking only of their next fight.
It’s in this kind of small camp in very rough condition that the Thai fighters build up to themselves a mental of steel, a determination to win on the boxing ring which distinguishes them from other nakmuay in the world…
BOXERS OF KAFAI FASAÏ WITH SERGE TREFEU!
