Ukrainian National Thai Boxing Federation

Thai boxing Muay Thai, as a kind of martial arts, began to actively develop in Ukraine since1989. Thanks to the active work carried out by Rychko V. and Borodin V., the Odessa Association of Martial Arts is being created in which Muay Thai is actively developing, the propagandist of which was Fedorov V.
In 1990, thanks to the efforts of representatives of the Odessa Association of Martial Arts, contact was made with the European Muay Thai Association. During the first half of 1991, at the invitation of the president of this organization T. Kharink, and thanks to the active help of Odessa-business businessman Vsevolod Lisovitsky, the inhabitants of Odessa twice visited Amsterdam (Holland), where they took part in Thai boxing instructors, and the Odessa association they represent martial arts became a full member of the European Muay Thai Association.
In June 1991, thanks to the efforts of Borodin V., the first professional Muay Thai fight was organized and held between the Bulgarian secret boxer Ivaylo Gorlyshki and Oleg Minto, a representative of the Odessa Martial Arts Association. In the second round, Minto O defeated by technical knockout. Thus, the foundation was laid for the development of professional Muay Thai in Ukraine. Unfortunately Fedorov V. and Borodin V. emigrated to the Netherlands and the USA in the same year, respectively, and could not continue to take part in the formation and development of Muay Thai in Ukraine. In the fall of 1991 Rychko V.I. at the invitation of the secretary of the European Association of Muay Thai Detlef Turnau, he visits Germany, where he successfully conducts a Muay Thai instructor seminar, and in December 1991 created the first officially registered Thai Muay Thai sports club in Ukraine in Odessa. From this moment, Muay Thai receives official status in Ukraine, and begins to actively develop as a sport.
During 1991 - 1992, Ukrainian Muay Thai became a member of all international organizations existing at that time and developing Muay Thai, the World Muay Thai Association (WMTA), the International Muay Thai Association (IMTA), the European Muay Thai Association (EMTA).
The first victories of the fighters of the Odessa Muay Thai club are closely connected with the name of the Odessa business man, director of the Avangard PE Yuriy Efimov, who was the general sponsor of most sports events held by the Muay Thai club and provided financial assistance, as in the club’s life Muay Thai ", and in the formation of a new sport of Thai boxing Muay Thai in Ukraine.
In April 1993, in Bangkok (Thailand), Ukrainian tayboxers for the first time took part in the first international Muay Thai tournament among amateurs. The team of Ukraine was represented by four athletes. But only two of them stood on a pedestal. These were representatives of the Odessa Muay Thai club boxing club, Sergey Chernolutsky (second place 75 kg.) And Pavlov Vitaliy (third place 71 kg). This international tournament was organized by the Thai government in collaboration with the Thai Muay Thai Amateur Association (AMTAT). As part of the tournament, the constituent conference of the International Amateur Muay Thai Federation (IFMA) was held, which marked the beginning of the development of amateur Muay Thai at the international level.
In January 1994, the first international Muay Thai courses for coaches and judges, organized by the Thai government in conjunction with IFMA and AMTAT, were held at the Hua Mark Sports Complex (Bangkok). The inhabitants of Odessa and Kiev, representing Ukraine, took part in them. The first close acquaintance with the techniques, tactics, teaching methods of Muay Thai, presented by the best Thai teachers and trainers of this sport, took place at these courses. In May 1994, in Nakongsi, Tamarad (Thailand), AMTAT, together with IFMA, held the second international amateur Muay Thai tournament. The first gold medal in the history of Ukrainian Muay Thai was brought to the Ukrainian team by a student of the Odessa Muay Thai club Pavel Yevtushenko. Besides him, four more of his teammates brought the team of Ukraine "2 silver and 2 bronze medals.
In July 1994 in Odessa, a match was held on Muay Thai between the teams of Ukraine and Thailand. In a bitter struggle with the score 3: 2, the Ukrainian team won.
And here is December 1994, Chanthaburi (Thailand) 1st World Amateur Muay Thai Championship, organized by the International Amateur Muay Thai Federation (IFMA). The best of the best tayboxers from around the world came to this historic event of amateur Muay Thai. One gold and two bronze medals and the fifth team place out of 23 teams, this is the result of the performance of the Ukrainian team, which was again represented by the athletes of the Odessa Muay Thai club boxing club, Pavel Yevtushenko became the first Muay Thai World Champion in the weight category 81 kg Sergey Chernolutsky - bronze medalist (75 kg.), Vitaly Pavlov - bronze medalist (71 kg.)