Jaturamitr
Encyclopedia
The Jaturamitr Samakkee is a traditional secondary school
football league played by the four oldest boys' schools in Thailand
, namely: Suankularb Wittayalai School
, Debsirin School, Assumption College and Bangkok Christian College
. It is held biennially, usually in November, at the Suphachalasai Stadium
in Bangkok
, with the schools rotating roles as host. In addition to the matches themselves, a great amount of attention and preparation is given to the elaborate audience displays and card stunt
s performed by each school.
The first championship was held during 16 October–18 November 1964, with student unity as a central theme for the games, and subsequent competitions were held annually until 1985, except in 1966–67, 1972, 1974–77 and 1979–80. From 1987, the competition continued on a biennial basis. It is a popular event of football in Thailand
, and many outstanding players from the competition continue their sports career by participating in the Thailand Premier League
, such figures including Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul
and Teerathep Winothai. The event is regularly broadcast on national television, and the three latest competitions have also been broadcast via live streaming video with live scores published on the official website.
Although unity has always been the central theme for the competition (Jaturamitr is derived from the Sanskrit
+ , meaning four friends and Samakkee translates as harmony or unity), a strong element of rivalry has developed among the schools. This is usually paired as Suankularb against Debsirin and Assumption against Bangkok Christian, and has led to multiple cases of inter-school student violence
during the weeks of the competition. The extent of the issue is such that strict audience segregation and security enforcement is required during the matches.
The latest 25th competition was held on 21–28 November 2009, hosted by Suankularb Wittayalai School. Bangkok Christian College won the championship.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
football league played by the four oldest boys' schools in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, namely: Suankularb Wittayalai School
Suankularb Wittayalai School
Suankularb Wittayalai School is an all-boys secondary school for grades 7th through 12th in Thailand. Founded by King Chulalongkorn in 1882, Suankularb is the oldest public secondary school in the country...
, Debsirin School, Assumption College and Bangkok Christian College
Bangkok Christian College
Bangkok Christian College is a private boys' school in Bangkok and the oldest school in Thailand. It was established on 30 September 1852 by American Presbyterian missionaries. It offers a standard educational curriculum...
. It is held biennially, usually in November, at the Suphachalasai Stadium
Suphachalasai Stadium
Suphachalasai Stadium, also known as the National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium holds 26,000 people and was opened in 1935.-History:...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, with the schools rotating roles as host. In addition to the matches themselves, a great amount of attention and preparation is given to the elaborate audience displays and card stunt
Card stunt
Card stunts are a planned, coordinated sequence of actions performed by an audience, whose members raise cards that, in the aggregate, create a recognizable image. The images they create can range widely and, through careful planning, the same cards can create a number of different images by...
s performed by each school.
The first championship was held during 16 October–18 November 1964, with student unity as a central theme for the games, and subsequent competitions were held annually until 1985, except in 1966–67, 1972, 1974–77 and 1979–80. From 1987, the competition continued on a biennial basis. It is a popular event of football in Thailand
Football in Thailand
Football in Thailand is organized by Football Association of Thailand .Football is the most famous sport in Thailand. Although the professional football leagues are new to Thai people, football was introduced to Thailand as far back as 1897. Many Thais also watch football on local and paid-cable TV...
, and many outstanding players from the competition continue their sports career by participating in the Thailand Premier League
Thailand Premier League
The Thai Premier League is a Thai professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Thai football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai Division 1 League. The Thai...
, such figures including Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul
Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul
Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul is Thai football player. He is a famous Midfielder and Defender who scored 10 goals for the national team. He played for the national team Between 1993-2004...
and Teerathep Winothai. The event is regularly broadcast on national television, and the three latest competitions have also been broadcast via live streaming video with live scores published on the official website.
Although unity has always been the central theme for the competition (Jaturamitr is derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
+ , meaning four friends and Samakkee translates as harmony or unity), a strong element of rivalry has developed among the schools. This is usually paired as Suankularb against Debsirin and Assumption against Bangkok Christian, and has led to multiple cases of inter-school student violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
during the weeks of the competition. The extent of the issue is such that strict audience segregation and security enforcement is required during the matches.
The latest 25th competition was held on 21–28 November 2009, hosted by Suankularb Wittayalai School. Bangkok Christian College won the championship.