The challenger and the champ: Zam Htoo (L) and Lone Chaw (R) were the only entrants in the Golden Belt Championship freeweight division. Pic: Aye Zaw Myo

LONE CHAW’S hard-earned win on points over heavyweight challenger Zam Htoo in the Golden Belt Championship was overshadowed by the relatively easy road both contestants travelled to get to the final on September 9.

They were, after all, the only fighters in the race for the big-money freeweight title.

With the champion pocketing K1 million and runner-up K800,000, the stakes in the open-weight category were significantly higher than the K200,000 up for grabs for winners of the nine weight divisions.

Yet only two entered the competition, revealing a disappointingly shallow field of talent in the kickboxing tournament’s main event.

Lone Chaw and Zam Htoo, both Kayin fighters, though the former hails from Ayeyarwady Division and the latter from Kayin State, put on a good show in front of some 4500 fans at Thuwunna Indoor Stadium – about three times the number attending earlier bouts over the previous three weeks. Still, organisers expressed concern about the lack of fighters in the sport’s most popular category.

The number of fighters in freeweight competitions (open to challengers of any weight but typically reserved for the biggest of the toughest) has dropped off over the past five years, U Daung Ni, head coach of the Myanmar Traditional Boxing Federation, told The Myanmar Times.

“The main reason there are fewer boxers is because there is no backup support for fighters if they get hurt, and the matches are very dangerous with no guarantees.

“Most boxers today see it as a very risky career choice because some end up suffering from health problems when they're older,” U Daung Ni said, claiming eyesight and memory were usually the worst affected.

The prize money, although more substantial than for lighter weights, was still not enough to assure fighters of any comfort later in life, he added.

“The prize money in the freeweight division is an impressive amount but not every boxer deserves to have a go in this division. They need to have a lot of experience as well as some support from the audience,” U Daung Ni said.

No kickboxers were turned away from the Golden Belt freeweight class, although fans at the final noted that organisers needed to ensure big names for fights in the division if they were to attract fans and continue paying out larger sums as prizes.

“The organisers want a lot of interest in a tournament so they look for a well-known challenger who has already won the respect of fans. If the tournament looks like it will be competitive, there will be more spectators and organisers can make more money,” one fan in his 30s said at the September 9 final.

He said both Lone Chaw and Zam Htoo fitted the bill in this respect, as evidenced by the high turnout on the last day despite ticket prices being upped K1000 to K6000 and K4000.

U Hla Soe Oo, coach of middleweight champion Yan Gyi Aung, said the newly crowned 75kg titleholder needed another year’s experience before he could think about mounting a serious challenge to Lone Chaw.

“Instead he should fight Zam Htoo,” U Hla Soe Oo said. “He (Yan Gyi Aung) is now 22 and he’s got plenty of time to work on becoming a famous boxer.
“I think it is better for him to fight Lone Chaw in late 2008 because he also needs to gain weight.”

Golden Belt winners:

Light flyweight: Soe Moe Hein (Nitshay Ooyinchan club); flyweight: Shwe Kyi San (Bilatmyay Setyone); bantamweight: Sit Thway (Bilatmyay Setyone); featherweight: Swan Ar Shin (Nitshay Ooyinchan); lightweight: Tway Mashaung (KLN); light welterweight: Win Htun (Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation); welterweight: Thura Ye Aung (Myanmar Pyithar); light middleweight: Bilatmyay Star (Bilatmyay Setyone); middleweight: Yan Gyi Aung (YCDC); freeweight: Lone Chaw (KLN).