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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV Cameroon Muay Thai – Dulot
HEADLINE: Muay Thai World Champion Trains Children in Cameroon
TEASER: Dany Bill says he believes sport can have positive influence on lives of young people in his native country
PUBLISHED AT: 03/02/2023 at 8:30am
BYLINE: Genia Dulot
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Kenochs; Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE(S): VOA original, videos courtesy of Dany Bill
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TVX RADIO__
TRT: 2:18
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[Dany Bill is a Cameroon native and seven-time Muay Thai world champion. He was recently in Los Angeles, raising money for his foundation in Africa, which trains young people in the sport. Genia Dulot caught up with him there.]]
((NARRATION))
Dany Bill was five years old when his family moved to France from Cameroon. Since then, he says, he has always wanted to stay grounded in his culture.
((Dany Bill, Seven-Time Muay Thai World Champion)) ((English))
“I grew up, and I learned in France when I go to school. But they never tell me who I am. I want to know who I am.”
((NARRATION))
Growing up in Paris wasn’t safe or easy. Bill says that as a young immigrant, he had to learn how to fight to defend himself. First, he picked up kung fu, then got into muay thai. also known as Thai boxing. In 1988, at age 15, he became the French muay thai champion. In 1993, he was the first European ((Mandatory courtesy: Dany Bill)) fighter to win the world title in Bangkok. ((end courtesy))
((Shawn Yacoubian, Yacoubian Muay Thai Academy Owner))
“I want my students to be able to experience the education from one of the legendary fighters, the golden era, the 90s ... a lot of great champions were created during that time, and he was one of them."
((NARRATION)) ((Mandatory CG: Dany Bill))
Of 126 career fights, he lost only 11. He retired in 2011 ((end courtesy)) and since then has started a foundation in his native Cameroon.
((Dany Bill, Seven-Time Muay Thai World Champion)) ((English))
“I want to help kids. I talk with the family over there. I say, 'I see too many young people take boat, I want they stay in the country and do something new, new job like sport.'”
((NARRATION)) ((Mandatory CG: Dany Bill))
Over the past five years, Bill has traveled to Cameroon every three to four months to teach young people at his foundation known as “Les étoiles de la maison,” or “The Stars of the House.” ((end courtesy))
((Peter ‘Sugarfoot’ Cunningham, Trainer)) ((ENG))
“Boxing is a great platform to pick kids up, to give you confidence in yourself, and not just for them fighting. They can learn muay thai and learn boxing, kickboxing, and the confidence they gain from this can send them on to become scientists, doctors, lawyers, teachers.”
((NARRATION))
Bill is currently working with about 100 young people, and he says there are some good fighters among them. (Mandatory CG: Dany Bill)) He hopes this next generation will help improve the future for Cameroon. ((end courtesy))
((Genia Dulot, for VOA News, Los Angeles))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
BylineGenia Dulot
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
