In Thailand, MMA fights between police officers to improve their image | Flashscore.fr

In khaki work pants and white t-shirts, two police officers exchange vigorous punches and kicks: in Thailand, police officers confront each other in the ring in order to regain prestige and try to regain the trust of the population.

The Thai police organized this Tuesday in Bangkok at the prestigious Rajadamnern stadium, one of the most prestigious in Thailand, an MMA (mixed martial arts) tournament in which 96 of its officers participated.

The competitors faced each other in three-minute rounds, where they could use traditional Thai boxing techniques, muay thai, which allows the use of fists, elbows, shins and knees, as well as jiu- Brazilian jitsu.

The winner of each category won the sum of 5,000 bahts (125 euros), explained toAFP Rattawut Jiamsripong, deputy commander of the Police Training Center. But also, according to this organizer, the honor of mastering the “suspicious” that is to say, their adversary.

The police in Thailand are regularly criticized for their involvement in cases of murder or corruption, or their brutal arrest techniques. Barely more than 10% of Thais say they have confidence in the police, according to a survey published in January.

“Like a day of service”

Despite losing in the tournament's under-85kg category, Officer Ratchanat Hongtawee's fight remains “a good experience”he says.

“It’s almost like a day of duty when you have to apprehend a suspect.”he said to theAFP. “I am the first to come into contact (with the suspects) and sometimes they resist arrest”he explains.

When the bell signaling the start of the fight rings, the camaraderie and politeness between colleagues give way to an outburst of violence, barely mitigated by gloves and protective helmets. “I want to assure you that there are good police officers around here”, says police officer Aek-Amorn Preeda-akkarakul, who came to encourage his colleagues from the stands. The spectators were not the only ones able to enjoy the spectacle, the fights were also broadcast on the internet.

In 2022, the country was shocked by the “Joe Ferrari” affair, after the nickname of a corrupt former local police chief, a lover of beautiful cars, who had amassed some $37 million.

Nearly one in two Thais said they had paid a bribe to the police in the last 12 months, according to a Transparency International study published at the end of 2020. Sports competition should encourage police officers to stay fit For “be at the service of the people”assured Jirabhop Bhuridej, head of the Central Bureau of Investigation and initiator of the project, in a video broadcast at the opening of the tournament.