A pillar of Thai culture, Muay Thai is one of the most popular contact sports in the Southeastern Asian country. Thousands of young hopefuls try their hand at the sport, many chasing prize money for their poor families.
But critics say putting young children in the ring is abusive, and concerns about underage boxing flared after a 13-year-old died during a charity bout in November 2018. Thai lawmakers have since proposed a strict limit, now under review, which would keep kids under 12 out of the ring.
