Boxing Legend Supports Nabil's Olympic Push to Amateur Boxing
Former WBC flyweight champion Chatchai Sasakul backs the effort to transition ONE Championship fighter Nabil Anane, 22, into amateur boxing for a shot at the 2028 Olympics, noting Thailand's success traditionally comes from Muay Thai fighte
Chatchai Sasakul, a former WBC flyweight world champion, posted comments supporting the Thai Amateur Boxing Association and ONE Championship's initiative to push Nabil Anane, a 22-year-old Thai-Algerian former ONE Muay Thai bantamweight champion, into amateur boxing with the goal of winning a 2028 Olympic medal.
Chatchai stated: "Please allow me to share my thoughts. All of us Thai people want to see another Olympic gold medal, but we must understand that our country has Muay Thai as its profession. Most of our amateur boxers in the past came entirely from Muay Thai, and most of our Olympic medals also came from Muay Thai. Whether it's Samaraksa, Somchit, Khao Phong, and many others, it appears only Manas won an Olympic medal while having limited Muay Thai experience. Currently, our national team may have some Muay Thai fighters, but not many; most come from various sports schools. I am not saying our amateur boxers are not skilled, but I think we started our amateur boxing too late or for other reasons I cannot explain. Our amateur boxers are very few in number. I mention this because there is currently momentum around young Nabil's entry into amateur boxing."
Chatchai continued: "Personally, I think it's okay. It's a good wave. I have had the chance to watch him fight in ONE Championship events, and I think his punching is excellent, which is rare for tall boxers like him. I do not take sides; I simply want to see him try amateur boxing, because reaching the Olympics requires many steps. Let's watch and show support for the Thai national team. Perhaps something good will come of it, but if it does not go as planned, that is fine too. We just try again. When I was competing, no one thought I would make the national team. When I fought in the Thai championship for the first time, I won gold and even got Best Boxer, despite never having fought amateur boxing before. I made the national team for many years and succeeded in several events, except the Olympics where I only reached the round of eight. Let's wait and see if Nabil can do it."
