National —
Panipak “Tennis” Wongpattanakit, Thailand’s top female athlete for the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris, has fully recovered from a recent injury and is ready for her final Olympics match. If she wins gold, she will be the first Thai athlete to achieve two Olympic gold medals.
The Thai national taekwondo team, including Tennis, Sasikarn “Baitoey” Thongchan, and Banlung “Yu” Tubtimdang, along with coaches Chatchai Che (Choi Young Seok) and Chanatip Sonkham, have left for London, UK, for final training before heading to Paris.
According to Pimol Srivikorn, President of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, the 10-day training camp in the UK will help athletes acclimate to the environment, avoiding the crowded training facilities in Paris.
The Thai Taekwondo team aims to optimize their training without competitors observing their techniques. They will move to Paris on August 1st, with competitions scheduled for August 7-9.
Dr. Kongsak Yodmanee, the Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, highlighted the country’s medal prospects in sports like taekwondo, swimming, badminton, and boxing.
Swimmer Dulyawat Kaewsriyong, the only male swimmer from Thailand to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, is also preparing intensely for his debut in the 100-meter freestyle. His French coach Xavier has been guiding him on training, diet, and life in France to ensure peak performance.
The main goal is for Thailand to have Thai athletes perform better without putting pressure on them. This time, out of 51 athletes, 37 are newcomers who have never participated in the Olympics. These athletes represent the future of Thai sports, remarked Dr. Kongsak.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
