YOUTH & AMATEUR

Very little about how young Lethwei fighters are developed or protected is documented in the sources this site relies on. This page keeps to what those sources state, and says plainly what they do not cover.

Sand pits and traditional matches

Reference sources, which give no period for it, say that in ancient times Lethwei matches took place in sand pits instead of rings. Traditional matches, including Flagship Tournaments, are still fought throughout Myanmar, especially during holidays and celebration festivals such as Thingyan. Citing a Narratively exposé on child boxers, those sources say that in rural areas, having a skilled child fighter has been a way of escaping poverty.

Governing bodies and amateur Lethwei

In 1996, the Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation (MTLF), a branch of Myanmar's Ministry of Health and Sports, added the modern Lethwei rules for the Golden Belt Championship in Yangon.

The World Lethwei Federation (WLF) was founded in 2019 and describes itself as the international governing body for amateur and professional Lethwei, with the responsibility to sanction and support the growth of Lethwei worldwide outside Myanmar. It is a separate body from the WLC. An Amateur Lethwei World Championship scheduled for August 2021 in Warsaw, Poland, was cancelled because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

What is not documented

The sources this site relies on give no minimum age for Lethwei competition, no youth age divisions, and no rules on when a young fighter may begin sparring, compete, or use headbutts. They document no MTLF or WLC youth programme and no licensing or certification scheme for young or amateur fighters. The one licence documented elsewhere on this site is the MTLF's “Grade-A” promoter licence issued to Japan's ILFJ in 2016 (see the Promotions page). This page therefore gives no ages, divisions, sparring guidance or competition guidance for children, and none should be inferred from it.