The Royal Thai Embassy in Rabat, in collaboration with the Royal Moroccan Federation of Boxing Muay Thai Savate and Assimilated Sports, has recently organized events to promote Thai Boxing in Morocco, namely: Thailand-Morocco Thai Boxing Friendship Cup and Thai Boxing Workshop for Moroccan Thai Boxing Trainers. These activities are part of the Embassy’s strategy to promote Thai Boxing in Morocco in the year 2017 after the Ambassador’s Cup Thai Boxing Tournament on 17 – 18 March 2018 at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat.

          The Friendship Cup took place on 22 June 2018 at Salle Couverte 11 Janvier in Fes (central Morocco). The event was well attended by spectators (approximately 500 persons), and was also recorded/broadcasted by RTM1 which is one of the most popular television channel in Morocco RTM1 reported that the Friendship Cup was aimed to promote Thai-Moroccan relations and was an opportunity to improve the capability of Moroccan fighters in international competition. RTM1 also evaluated that the Friendship Cup was successful and has brought fame to Moroccan fighters in the international arena. The event was also reported by Arabic printed press in Morocco.  The Friendship Cup featured Thai Boxing matches in the categories of less than 57, 67, and 70 kilograms, the result of which was one win and two losses for the Thai side. After the matches, the Royal Moroccan Federation of Boxing, Muay Thai, Savate and Assimilated Sports hosted a dinner for the parties related to the competition, including the Thai and Moroccan boxers. The latter two took the dinner as opportunity to foster friendship and sportsmanship, as well as exchange their techniques and opinions on Thai Boxing.

          The Workshop was held in Moulay Rachid Institute in Salé (near Rabat) on 24 June – 1 July 2018, and led by two Thai Boxing instructors from Thailand. The Workshop was aimed to show the correct Thai Boxing technique to Moroccan Thai Boxing trainers from different regions of Morocco. Trainers are divided into 4 groups, with each group taking turn to train for 2 consecutive days. On 27 June 2018, the Ambassador of Thailand to Morocco also visited the Institute to see the training in action and handed out certificates to the participants to the workshop who have finished their training.