National —
On July 31st, 2024, Thai national media provided an update on the badminton matches at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the Men’s Singles Group C match, Mr. Kunlavut “View” Vitidsarn, ranked 8th in the world, played his second group match against Kalle Koljonen, ranked 60th, from Finland. View, the 2023 World Champion, started strong, leading 11-3 and easily winning the first game 21-4.
In the second game, View led 8-0 before Kalle retired due to injury. View’s victory secured his spot in the Round of 16, where he is expected to face Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, ranked 10th. If victorious, View could meet world number 1, Shi Yuqi of China, in the quarterfinals.
In the Women’s Singles Group E match, Ratchanok “May” Intanon, ranked 21st, faced a tough opponent, Tai Tzu-ying, ranked 3rd, from Taiwan. The first game was closely contested, with May pulling ahead to win 21-19.
In the second game, May played confidently, leading 6-1 and 11-2 before securing the game 21-15. May’s 2-0 victory advances her to the quarterfinals, where she awaits the winner between Kim Ga-eun of South Korea and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.
In mixed doubles, Dechapol “Bas” Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree “Popor” Taerattanachai, ranked 6th, were eliminated in the quarterfinals. They lost to Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan, the world number 5 pair and bronze medalists from three years ago, 0-2.
Bas reflected on the match, noting that their opponents changed their strategy mid-game, shifting from an offensive to a defensive play style. This, combined with playing against the wind, hindered their performance. Despite adjusting in the second game, they were unable to catch up.
Bas and Popor expressed uncertainty about their future plans post-Olympics. They felt disappointed but acknowledged they had given their best. Their future remains unclear for the next Olympics.
Update: Thailand’s Superstar Men’s Badminton Singles Competitor “View” Wins Again at Paris Olympics.
In a thrilling Men’s Singles Round of 16 match, View, the 8th seed of the tournament and 8th in the world, triumphed over Kenta Nishimoto, the 10th-ranked player from Japan. The intense battle ended with a scoreline of 2-1: 16-21, 21-14, and 21-12. View now advances to the quarterfinals of the badminton Olympic Games 2024.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
