PM Hun Sen Is Set to Give Cambodian Citizenship to Brazilian Fighter Thiago Teixeira
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on April 8 that he will request that King Norodom Sihamoni authorize Cambodian citizenship for Thiago Teixeira. Photo: Hun Sen's Facebook and Facebook
- By Meng Seavmey
- April 8, 2023 3:15 PM
PHNOM PENH — Prime Minister Hun Sen said on April 8 that he will request that King Norodom Sihamoni authorize Cambodian citizenship for Thiago Teixeira following the announcement that the Brazilian fighter was stripped of his world title after saying that he wanted to represent Kun Khmer instead being a Muay Thai fighter.
In addition to a $20,000 sponsorship that will be offered to the fighter as encouragement, Hun Sen said in a message on Telegram that he will make the request once legal procedures will have been reviewed and all is found to be in order.
The prime minister’s announcement followed the press release on April 6 issued by the World MuayThai Organization (WMO) in which the WMO said that Teixeira had been stripped of his WMO World MuayThai Organization middleweight title. The Brazilian fighter had won this title during the “Apex Fight Series” promotion in Germany on April 1.
According to the WMO press release, the organization is banning Teixeira from any future WMO activities. WMO President Chinawut Sirisampan said that Teixeira’s actions were “politically motivated” and “fundamentally unsportsmanlike.” He was referring to Teixeira saying that he was a Kun Khmer instead of a Muay Thai fighter even though he trained in Muay Thai for years. The Brazilian fighter also posed with the Cambodian flag when he won the title.
In its press release, WMO stated that Teixeira had been found guilty of, the text read, “degrading the national sport of Thailand and inciting hate.”
Before the prime minister’s announcement, Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith, had said that the Brazilian fighter would be given $1,000 through the Kun Khmer Federation as a show of support. Kanharith also called on Cambodians to donate to the fighter.
Thiago, who is currently in Phnom Penh, has yet to receive the net-worth of $3,000 he was to obtain after defeating Great Britain’s Joe Craven in the Apex Fight Series.
