Kaaj Chartbandit ( th, กาจ ชาติบัณฑิต) also known as Hadao CP Gym (ห้าดาว ซีพียิม) (born July 13, 1970) is a Thai former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1998, challenging for the WBA light-flyweight title twice in the 1990s.

Biography and career

Chartbandit was born in eastern Bangkok, graduated from Minburi Technical College. He has been through a lot of

amateur boxing Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising three rounds of three ...

at the youth level, including being the champion of the Department of Physical Education. Chartbandit turned pro in 1987 by fighting all Thai boxers, he was the

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

(112 lb) champion of Rajadamnern Stadium (comparable to Thailand champion) in 1993. Niwat Laosuwannawat (manager and promoter of star

Khaosai Galaxy Khaosai Galaxy ( th, เขาทราย แกแล็คซี่, born, 15 May 1959) is a Thai former professional boxer who competed between 1980 and 1991. He was also a Muay Thai practitioner. He held the WBA super-flyweight title betwee ...

) accepted the transfer of him into the stable. Laosuwannawat renamed him to "Hadao CP Gym" according to the brand name of the sponsoring company. He was considered the first athlete to be officially sponsored by

Charoen Pokphand Group The Charoen Pokphand Group Company, Ltd. (CP) (; ) is a Thai conglomerate based in Bangkok. It is Thailand's largest private company and the largest privately held Royal Warrant holder of the Thai Royal Family. The company describes itself as havi ...

(CP). CP Gym had the opportunity to challenge for the first world title with

Leo Gámez Silvio Rafael Gámez (born August 8, 1963), better known as Leo Gámez, is a Venezuelan former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. He is the first boxer in history to win world titles in the four lightest weight divisions, having h ...

the champion from Venezuela. The match was held at Rajadamnern Stadium in June 1994, during the FIFA World Cup in the United States was being competed. CP Gym who wore metallic green shorts with red stripe, fought well and able punched Gámez down to the ring floor for referee count to eight in the seventh round. But the decision came out as an astounding draw. CP Gym continued boxing until he got older, his name was ranked in the Junior flyweight category of the three major organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF). In early March 1998 he had chance to challenge for the world championship for the second time with a younger fellow Thai title holder, Pichit Chor Siriwat in the mandatory fight. The bout takes place on an outdoor ring at the Ratchawong Intersection in

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

area, also considered part of the 1998

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...

celebrations. Throughout the campaign, he appeared to be unable to fight Chor Siriwat especially in the final round he was almost

knocked out A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

. As a result, he was defeated by

unanimous Unanimity is agreement by all people in a given situation. Groups may consider unanimous decisions as a sign of social, political or procedural agreement, solidarity, and unity. Unanimity may be assumed explicitly after a unanimous vote or impl ...

points from the three judges, 118–111, 118–112, and 109–108. His final fight took place shortly after, when he lost with knockout in the third round against future

WBC WBC may stand for: Business *Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, a former large India broadcaster now folded into CBS *Westpac (New Delhi Exchange code: WBC), a multinational Financial services company *Wholesale Broadband Connect, BT Wholesale's ...

Flyweight world champion and the second one who able to knockout superstar Manny Pacquiao, Medgoen Singsurat, before retiring at the age of 30. Hadao CP Gym was recognized by Leo Gámez as having the best defense skills opponent.

See more

* Thai boxers rivalry

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chartbandit, Kaaj 1970 births Living people Kaaj Chartbandit Light-flyweight boxers Flyweight boxers Kaaj Chartbandit