Writer in the Ring
By Mike Atkins

Having spent all week strapped on the back of a 3 ton elephant, competing in Hua Hin’s King’s Cup elephant polo tournament, American writerAntonio Graceffo stepped away from the paddock to take part in an exhibition boxing match in the seaside town’s Grand Sports Stadium to raise awareness for the elephant’s cause.

The King’s Cup tournament, now in its fourth year, was competed by fourteen teams drawn from around the globe to raise money for the Lampang Elephant Conservation Centre (LECC) in Northern Thailand. With the initial forecast of raising 1.5 million baht for the project looking likely to be exceeded, and a fantastic week’s entertainment had by all involved, the tournament has been a resounding success.

Graceffo, who boxes part-time and has even starred in a recent Cambodian kung-fu flick strapped on his gloves in front of a packed crowd and gave a rousing performance. In a closely fought three-round contest, Antonio was unlucky to come out on the wrong side of a tight decision, but was happy to have accomplished his mission of letting people know about the ECC’s work.

“Sometimes charity hurts,” laughed Graceffo. “If I were Bob Hope I wouldn’t have to do this - but I can’t sing or dance.”

The next morning though, it was back to the elephant polo ground to try and help his team of fellow journalists, sponsored by UK travel agency Kuoni, get through the next round.

Read Antonio's Story