Another Afridi strikes big, in Muay Thai

Pakistani fighter becomes first from country to win World Muay Thai Organisation belt

KARACHI:

“I have worked extremely hard to get this fight, just to get this offer to play this at the World Muay Thai Day event. It is one of the biggest events of the sport. And I feel the work paid off to just win this World Muay Thai Organisation (WMO) belt,” Khan Saeed Afridi tells The Express Tribune as he became the first Pakistani to win the prestigious event in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

The former Police’s Special Security Unit Commando, Afridi made no mistakes in defeating his Thai opponent in the 57kg fight on March 17 in the main event to win the belt.

His bout was of five rounds, but for Afridi, who was raised in Karachi’s Hijrat Colony and trained in Kakri Ground Lyari, the fight meant him setting a record for Pakistan.

He began practicing martial arts when he was just seven years old. “I started with bando karate. I trained in Kakri ground, and the academy that I used to train with had a branch near my house in Hijrat Colony. But I started training for kick-boxing soon after and I can say that my journey in Muay Thai began in 2008,” said Afridi.

He added that his road to becoming the first Pakistani to win the WMO belt has not been easy and had many turns that made his resolve stronger by each passing year.

“From 2008 onwards, I performed domestically and even knocked-out all the regional fighters in Sindh Games. I came to Thailand for the first time in 2011, since this was the home to Muay Thai fighting,” said Afridi.

He won a WMF bronze medal in 2011 but he felt that something was missing.

“When I first observed what was going on, I realized that Muay Thai practiced here was very different from what we do in Pakistan. I thought I needed to dedicate my time to the sport. I was determined that I want to pursue my career in this, I even came here in 2012, but I wasn’t really that great, so I went back,” said Afridi.

From 2012 onwards he joined Sindh Police and worked in the SSU where he trained in SWAT and Anti-Terrorism fight courses for the next four to five years.

“I have resigned from Sindh Police now,” clarified Afridi, but he said that his way to the belt included as many as 20 international fights, while in 2016 he was aiming to be a professional Muay Thai fighter.

“I defeated fighters from the US and India in 2016, then had training camps in Thailand, then in 2017 I defeated an Indonesian fighter, but it was in 2017 that I really turned pro. Before that I was just an amateur. Then I faced and knocked-out fighters from the US and India in 2018,” explained Afridi.

“In 2019, I knocked out an Indian fighter in less than 90 seconds.”

Afridi said that 2021 had no fights because of Covid-19 protocols.

Afridi added that one of his favourite fight was in 2018 against a Thai fighter but he had lost by a point.

In the event this year Afridi said that there were fighters from more than 50 countries and the competition was very tough.

Afridi trains in Thailand but he worked with Muhammad Ali Balti in Islamabad as well to make sure he gives the best performance of his career.

The 31-year-old’s message is that the Pakistani fighters should get good sponsors as they can bring laurels to the country.

His hard work has earned him respect and recognition in Thailand in the last five years and he is celebrated there with his pictures on the billboards now.

“My message is that a good sponsor that treats the athletes right can make a lot of difference. I have made the progress because I don’t have to worry about how I would run my house and daily expenses. A good professional sponsor, just like the athletes and fighters from Europe and other countries have multiple sponsors, can make a huge difference in the results and performance. I want to thank my sponsor too for supporting me,” said Afridi.