PATTAYA, Thailand – December 9th, 2025 – Four outstanding athletes from Pattaya who will represent Thailand at the upcoming 33rd SEA Games paid a courtesy visit to Pattaya City Hall yesterday to receive encouragement and blessings from Mayor Poramese Ngampichet.
The delegation was led by Ms. Patcharee Rattaman, director of BJP Elite Academy, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Berrie, honorary president of the Pattaya Taekwondo and Kickboxing Club. The athletes, all local residents who have brought international glory to the city, are preparing for the SEA Games, which Thailand will host from December 9–20, 2025 with events being held in Bangkok and Jomtien.
The group included:
– Alexandre Mangkorn Berrie (“Coach Alex”), a Thai-French kickboxer and two-time world champion. The 2025 WAKO World Kickboxing Championships in Abu Dhabi saw him claim gold in the Kick Light –57 kg category, maintaining his position as the current world No. 1. Notably, Alex was the first Thai and first Asian athlete to win gold in this prestigious event back in 1999 in Portugal. He will compete at the SEA Games from December 13–15.
– His identical twin brother, Benjamin Naklop Berrie (“Coach Ben”), who won bronze at the 2025 World Cup Kickboxing in Hungary and was the 2023 Thai national champion.
– Ms. Teerawara Watawattana (“April”) and Miss Jiratchaya Rattanawong (“Khaosuy”), both youth world champions in ju-jitsu. The pair secured gold in the under-16 women’s duo category and bronze in the women’s duo show at the 2025 Ju-Jitsu Youth World Championships, which Thailand hosted.
All four athletes train under Hansoo Gym and the Hansoo Taekwondo–Kickboxing Club, institutions that have promoted martial arts in Pattaya for over 22 years. The clubs focus on building discipline, physical strength, and professional athletic pathways for youth, while also helping talented students earn university scholarships.
The academies currently operate at three locations in Pattaya: Country Club Village (Thung Klom–Tan Man soi), PK Residence (Siam Country Club soi), and BJP Elite Academy in Phuean Thani Village (Phonprapha Nimit Soi 13). For more information, contact 062-373-5067.
Speaking after the meeting, Alexandre Mangkorn Berrie expressed gratitude to the city: “Receiving encouragement from the Mayor gives us even more strength and pride to compete for Thailand. We will do our best to bring medals back to Pattaya and the country.”
The SEA Games competitions for kickboxing and ju-jitsu are scheduled for mid-December, with Thailand aiming to defend its overall championship title on home soil.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
