Mr. Sisouphanh Sengsavanh – Our main objective is to participate in the AIBA and ASBC events

Mr. Sisouphanh Sengsavanh the President of the Lao Boxing Federation but he is also Executive Committee member of the Asian Boxing Confederation. As President of the Lao Boxing Federation the management of ASBC was asked him about the current situation in the Southeast Asian country and their future plans.
Laos sent boxers to the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships to Bangkok, Thailand this July and they are planning to compete also in the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Laos competed in the Southeast Asian Games where Bounpone Lasavongsy and Vilaysack Chansamone both achieved bronze medals.

– Could you please introduce your country’s boxing life?
– We have got 20 boxing clubs in each regions of our country and have got some future prospects in Laos. We have been hosting dual events together with Cambodia every Saturdays to raise the experiences of our boxers.
The number of our current boxers in different age groups is the followings: 120 juniors, 80 youth and 120 elite boxers. We have got also approximately 100 women boxers in the junior, youth and elite levels as well.
It is important to mention about our background that one of our Referee & Judge is AIBA 2-stars while two of our coaches are AIBA 1-star currently. We competed well in the last edition of the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur where two of our experienced boxers achieved bronze medals. We are focusing now to the next edition Asian Games which will be held in Indonesia in 2018.

– Would you like to tell us your strategic plans for the future and the key developments in your country?
– We are planning to establish 10 new clubs within the next three years to find new talents for our sport in countryside as well. Lao Boxing Federation is focusing mainly to the junior and youth age groups which could be our future. Developing our coaches and referees to different levels are also one of our key point in Laos. We need more 1-star, 2-stars and 3-stars coaches and referees in the upcoming years and we know we have to go ahead step by step.
Participating in the AIBA and ASBC events more times than in the recent one decade is also among our main objectives. We are trying to build up our young talents to show their skills and I can tell you Laos would like to participate in the upcoming ASBC and AIBA events as well. We are trying to follow the ASBC international boxing calendar and send our boxers to the main events from 2018.

– What are the main strengths and issues in your boxing life?
– Muay Thai boxing is very popular combat sport in Laos but it is a bit different martial art like the Olympic boxing which we want to improve. We are trying to source fighters from Muay Thai to raise our achievements in the near future. All of our issues are coming from our low possibilities of financing and the low popularity of Olympic boxing.