A 12-year-old Thai-French boy from Khong Chiam district in Ubon Ratchathani has drawn attention after showing strong boxing ability during training with former Thailand national boxer Amnat Ruenroeng.

The boy, Tony, is in P6 and travelled to the Johnny camp in Ubon Ratchathani with his French father and Thai mother. His father is a former amateur boxer.

Tony's family lives in Khong Chiam, where they heard that Amnat was sharing his boxing knowledge with young people at the camp. They subsequently brought their son to train under the former national fighter.

Training with adult boxers

During a sparring session, Tony tested himself against adult boxers of a similar weight, including Amnat. Those present at the camp said he displayed notable punch selection, movement and timing, as well as unusually heavy punching power for his age.

The young boxer was said to have impressed onlookers with his aggressive style and physical strength. Some have described him as a potential "white elephant of Khong Chiam" - a Thai expression for a rare and promising talent.

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

Amnat, a former Thai national boxer, is currently training and rebuilding his fitness at the Johnny camp. He has also been passing on the skills gained during his sporting career to children and young people interested in boxing.

The coaching has reportedly attracted local parents, who have continued bringing their children to the camp for training.

Online supporters call for further training

Followers of Amnat's online training updates praised Tony's performance and suggested he should train seriously at the camp to develop his skills for higher-level competition.

Some supporters also speculated that continued coaching could one day give him a chance of reaching the Thailand national team.

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24 August 2026

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I must admit, I do love the nationalism in the hyphenation conventions used if either a luuk-khrueng has done well, or done poorly.

Doesn't matter if its artistic, scholastic, or athletic.
Something positive? Thai-Foreigner
Something negative? Foreigner-Thai

Similar to the UK.
Andy Murray crud at tennis? Scottish.
Andy Murray wins Wimbledon? British.

But, all cynicism aside, good on the bloke. And hope that he does well.

Not a bit too young to fight against an adult??? not afraid of brain damage???... He can be a natural but if this is how they treat young athletes no wonder many don't reach the top. I was involved in youth sports too and saw the same things happen... Most stop before they can reach the top

Coincidentally just saw an excellent film about the pressure cooker environment of an elite youth boxing training camp in France.