Final bell rings for teen Muay Thai hope after cancer fight

Fifteen-year-old Muay Thai prospect Prasertchai P. Prakitgym has died of lung cancer after building a winning record in the ring. — Picture from Facebook/New Power Group

By Malay Mail

First Published: Friday, 21 Aug 2026 5:30 PM MYT

BANGKOK, Aug 21 — Fifteen-year-old Muay Thai prospect Prasertchai P. Prakitgym has died of lung cancer after battling the disease with the same courage he showed in the ring.

The fighter from Thailand’s northeastern Sisaket province had been on a winning streak before his diagnosis, according to his gym, New Power Group.

He scored a fourth-round knockout in the 43kg division in July 2025 before securing points victories in August and November.

Prasertchai was diagnosed shortly after his final fight and began treatment in early 2026, Thai news outlet The Thaiger reported.

New Power Group announced his death today, remembering him as “a boxer everyone loved” who fought until the end.

“In the ring, a fighter may have days of losing and days of winning,” the gym said in a Facebook post today.

“But in real life, fighting until the last second is the greatest courage of all.”

The gym said Prasertchai’s fights, sacrifices and memories would live on in Thailand’s Muay Thai community.