The anticipated final was presided over by the King of Thailand’s
Royal representative, HE Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk, Privy
Councillor. The reigning champions Mekhong went head to head
with PWC New Zealand All Blacks culminating in a thrilling penalty
shootout with Mekhong retaining the title in the last moments of
the match, resulting in a final score of 7-6.
A total of 20 unemployed ex-street elephants took part in this year’s
King’s Cup. Under the patronage of His Majesty the King of
Thailand and the Department of Livestock Development, the
elephants received full veterinary checks from the Zoological Parks
Organisation of Thailand.
A sum of THB 4 million was raised for many elephant charity
projects during the event , bringing a total sum raised to date to
almost THB 55 million. The funds are set to be donated to various
projects.
This will also benefit the Thai Elephant Therapy Project which has
been underway since 2009 in conjunction with Chiang Mai
University’s Department of Occupational Therapy, with future
clinics to include children with Down’s syndrome and other
conditions. The sum will also aid in the funding of Asia’s first
workshop to show traditional elephant trainers and camp owners
the benefits of Positive Reinforcement Training for captive
elephants.