Payak Sitipitak/Story

Past
A professional Muay Thai ranker, welterwight class. A middle-aged competitor whose livelihood depends on it. He's quite old for a Muay Thai fighter, but he continues to compete as an active fighter. While he may be past his prime and losing his speed, his heavy kick techniques remain as strong as ever. It's said that no one in the world of Muay Thai possesses skills beyond his. He isn't flashy, but with is cunning fighting style, he always manages to catch up with his opponents. Payak is a caring and devoted family-man. At home, his wife wears the pants, looking after their family, consisting of 17 people, including both his and his wife's parents. He has never competed overseas before, and accepted the invitation to the tournament to participate in one last big event.

Interview
The ranks of Muay Thai athletes become thinner as they move up to the heavier weight classes. Therefore, fighters in weight classes where there are few rankers are not well known unless they go overseas, despite their high level of ability. Payak Sipitak (welterweight), one of the invited competitors, is one such fighter. He is not well known in Japan, but his precise fighting style has kept him at the top of the Muay Thai welterweight division despite being 40 years old. We interviewed him at his gym in Thailand about his enthusiasm for this year's tournament.

Interviewer: Mr. Sitipitak, you've never participated overseas before. Could you tell us about your change in mindset upon receiving the invitation for this year's tournament?

Payak: That's right. I'm turning 40 years old this year, and I want to participate in a big tournament like this at least once before I retire.

Interviewer: Certainly, the scale of this year's tournament is bigger than ever when it comes to prize money, skill level of the competitors, number of competitors and so on. Can you tell us of any competitors you're particularly wary of, Mr. Sipitak?

Payak: Yes, I'm somewhat cautious of the competitors using wrestling and judo. If I'm caught by one of their pinning techniques, I'll certainly be at a disadvantage. That said, I'm certain that I'll be able to KO those opponents before they are able to pin me.

Interviewer: So naturally you're aiming for the championship, yes?

Payak: That is, yes, of course. My family will be sad if I lose.

Interviewer: Will your family be there to watch the tournament on the day of the event?

Payak: They will, but only my wife, my parents, her parents and our children can make it. Unfortunately, my friends and other relatives will remain in Thailand.

Interviewer: Well, that's still a lot of people. Speaking of your children, I believe you have 11 of them?

Payak: Yes, we had our 11th child last year. As a parent, I must say she's the cutest little baby, if I do say so myself.

Interviewer: Then you must work harder and harder for your children.

Payak: Yes, I will. For the sake of my children, I will continue to be the "strongest". Even on the world's stage, I believe that I can win if I show my usual strength.

Interviewer: Sitipak is entering the final qualifying league. Please show your children you can win the championship.

Payak: Yes, thank you very much.

Fan Q&A
"Question 1""Q. Are you familiar with Joe Higashi, Japan's youngest Muay Thai Champ? How do you rate him?""A. I think he's a skilled competitor. He has guts and is certainly a crowd favorite, especially with kids. My sons are fans of his, actually.""Question 2""Q. Do Payak's children also aspire to be Muay Thai practitioners? Are they strong?""A. Well, take a guess. I think they're stronger than most children of their generation, but this may be parental bias.""Question 3""Q. Have you visited Akihabara during your time in Japan?""A. Unfortunately, I haven't been there. I would like to stop by before I return home.""Question 4""Q. What's your impression of Odaiba, the tournament venue?""A. Very spacious and beautiful. There's a lot of interesting architecture, too.""Question 5""Q. What is your personal treasure?""A. My family.""Question 6""Q. You have a lot of family members. What is your family structure?""A. Me, my wife, my parents, my wife's parents, and our children.""Question 7""Q. Are your children doing Muay Thai too?""A. My older children are, yes. Not all of them, though, as some of them aren't so good with sports. No matter what they do, as long as they do it to the best of their ability, then that's all that matters to me.""Question 8""Q. You kind of sound like my high school P.E. teacher...""A. I came to Japan for the first time for the tournament, so I think you must have mistaken me for someone else."