My interview with Muay Thai boxer, and Chonburi fan, Chaiyakrit Aamlid, from 15th August, 2013
Q- Please can you start by introducing yourself
A - My name is Chaiyakrit Aamlid or simply Kevin. I am 19 years old. My father is Norwegian and my mother is Thai. Currently I am living in Norway studying shipping management
Q- How long have you been involved in Muay Thai?
A - I have enjoyed watching Muay Thai for many years but I only started training when I was 14 years old
Q- What first got you interested in Muay Thai?
A- I got interested basically by living in Thailand. Living in Thailand you couldn't hide from Muay Thai.
Q- How often do you need to train?
A- 6 days a week, having 1 day of rest which is Sunday
Q- Who is your trainer?
A- My trainer's name is Kru Oa, 33 year old man from Lop Buri, Thailand. He is not just a trainer but he is also an active fighter himself and has a Muay Thai match in Romania this month. I have been with a few other trainers but no one as good as Kru Oa in my opinion. He has very good technique and I wouldnt want another trainer but him.
Q- Please describe a typical day's training schedule
A- Training is usually twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon, both training schedules in the morning and afternoon are pretty similar. It first starts off with a run (more of a nice easy jog), then 10 minutes of Tyre jumping, 10 minutes of skipping rope and sometimes 10 minutes of shadow boxing as well (these are all warm ups). After these "warm ups" the trainer and I will do some pad work where the trainer holds the pads and tells me what to do so it could be kicks, elbows, punches or knees (this usually goes on for 4 or 5 rounds of 3 minutes). Next is work on the heavy bag which usually goes on for about 3 rounds. Then a couple of sit ups and last but not least, weight training.
Q- How important is diet to a Muay Thai fighter?
A- Generally it is very important for a Muay Thai fighter to stay in good condition and also to make weight. Food and drinks have a lot to do with it. I tend to eat more veggies and fruit than I used to and stay away from the soft drinks. Also I have to consume a lot of proteins
Q- Who are your favourite Muay Thai fighters and why?
A- Yodsanklai Fairtex has got to be one of my favorites due to the fact that he is very good. He has also put Muay Thai on the map just by being as good as he is and made a lot of people aware of the sport. Another favorite of mine is Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee, simply because he has a unique fighting style and that he is also from Chonburi province, also a very funny character.
Q- How have you been preparing for your fight?
A- Going to training helps me get prepared. Kru Oa has given me a lot of advice and taught me different techniques. Also sparring and clinching helps a great deal.
Q- When and where is your fight?
A- My fight is on Friday the 16th of August and the event starts at 20:00hrs. The fight will be at Pattaya Boxing World which is right next to Mini Siam, they both share the same parking lot. It is located right next to Sukhumvit Road close to Bangkok Pattaya hospital.
Q- What do you know about your opponent?
A- Not much at all unfortunately. I know we both are fighting at 72 kgs and that he is not Thai.
Q- What are your expectations for Friday night?
A- Hopefully put on a great performance. I have trained too long not to get a good result out of it but I know my opponent will have the same thing in mind
Q- What are your Muay Thai ambitions?
A- I want to make people from other nations more aware of Muay Thai. I would love to teach it one day.
Q- What do you think Muay Thai has taught you?
A- Muay Thai has taught me that success comes from hard work.
Q- What advice would you give to someone who wants to take up Muay Thai?
A- Do it! It is very good exercise and results will show in no time. You can also defend yourself and others at difficult times.
Q- How long have you been supporting Chonburi FC?
A- From what I remember, I think it was since 2006
Q- Who is your favourite player and why?
A- It's got to be the super goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool, simply because he has been at Chonburi FC all the years I have been supporting them. I am sure he loves the club as much as the fans do.
Q- What has been the highlight of your Chonburi supporting years?
A- It has to be winning the league in 2007, that moment when we beat Krung Thai Bank to secure a winning spot was one of the best moments in my life. The stadium was full of fireworks, flares and the atmosphere was incredible. It makes me really happy that I was part of something special like that. The stadium was so full, me and my little brother had to climb over the fences and we were sitting right next to the benches where all the coaches and substitutes were. When Pipop scored the winning goal to make it 3-2, I couldnt describe a better feeling.
Q- What are your thoughts on Chonburi's season so far?
A- We have been playing so poor at times, I am surprised that we are even 3rd. I hate the fact that Buriram Utd and Muang Thong are above us and I hope we do everything to catch up.
Q- What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
A- We will be on top of Pattaya United thats for sure! I assume we will finish top 3.
Q- What would you do to improve the team?
A- Better scouting on players that we buy has to be done and also stop doing silly crosses and long balls, that gets us nowhere. We give the ball way to easily at times, we need to improve in our counter attacks and we seem to be too vulnerable when other teams are counter attacking us.
Q- If you could give coach Heng one piece of advice, what would it be?
A- All I can say is think of better tactics and new management might be needed. Something has obviously gone wrong this season. Also I think he needs to work on his decision making, he is an alright coach (better than Robbie Fowler at Muang Thong) but for some reason Heng seems to have lost it this season. Also I think we should try as hard as possible to hold on to our top players and get them to communicate with each other more.
Q- How do you keep in touch with Chonburi FC when you're away?
A- I do anything I can to do it. I subscribed to Thai tv in Norway just so I can watch the matches. Livescore and Twitter helps a lot. I have been watching a lot of the matches during my lectures, after all Chonburi FC is much more important.
Q- Would you rather be a world champion Muay Thai fighter or score the winning goal for Chonburi in an AFC Champions League final?
A- Score the winning goal for Chonburi FC in a AFC CL final, without a shadow of a doubt. Chonburi FC is more than a club for me and I dream of that moment everyday.
Q- Anything else you'd like to add?
A- Suree Sukha is a traitor and I hope he struggles at Buriram Utd. Another thing is that I can't wait for Pattaya United to get relegated, it will be a very happy day when it happens.
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