ASIAD HOPEFUL
‘Tennis’ favourite to win taekwondo gold
When t aekwondo paladins from different countries get on t he canvas at the 2018 Asian Games i n I ndonesia, Thailand will be among the nations scrabbling around for the crumbs left behind by the South Korean juggernaut.
Ever since its introduction in 1986 at the region’s edition of Olympics, mighty South Korea — the birthplace of the martial art — have ruled the roost, taking home 53 gold medals in the sport.
Their domination of the discipline can be gauged from the fact that they are followed in the list by Iran, who have managed only 13 gold medals over the years.
The Kingdom are relatively new as their success story at this level only started after the Taekwondo Association of Thailand (TAT) hired South Korean coach Choi Young-Seok in February 2002.
The mentor, affectionately called Coach Chay by the Thai press and fans, soon made his presence felt by guiding Yaowapa Burapolchai, then a relatively unknown exponent at home and abroad, to claim silver at the 2002 Asian Games on Choi’s home soil in Busan.
The Thai taekwondo team enjoyed their best performance in the Asian Games at the 2010 tournament in Guangzhou.
Chutchawal Khawlaor (men’s 54kg) and Sarita Phongsri (women’s 53kg) were the two Thai winners in 2010 and four years later, the only Thai to claim the top honours at the Incheon Games was Chanatip Sonkham (women’s 49kg).
The Thai taekwondo fighters have been quite surefooted on the international stage since 2004 when Yaowapa become the country’s first ever Olympic medallist in the sport after winning bronze in Athens.
For this year’s Asiad, TAT officials are expecting to win two gold medals but would guarantee only one.
In a fortnight’s time, the country’s stars get down to business of kicking their opponents with Thailand being represented in seven of the eight traditional taekwondo weight categories (four each for men and women).
Coach Choi is taking Thailand’s inability to win a gold medal at the Asian Championships in May in Vietnam as “a timely wake-up call” and “a blessing in disguise”.
Choi admitted that the shock results in Vietnam could have a “psychological impact” on the Thai fighters heading to the Asian Games to be held from Aug 18-Sept 2.
“If you ask me, I would say it is a blessing in disguise as the Asian Championships losses have exposed our weaknesses in a clear manner,” added Choi.
“At least we have time to set things right before the Asian Games. I am confident we will post better results in Indonesia.”
TAT president Pimol Srivikorn has been attempting to scale down the fans’ expectations, but remains confident that there won’t be a repeat of the Asian Championships letdown in Indonesia.
“We will win at least one gold medal for sure,” he recently told journalists.
Pimol added: “We are telling our fighters again and again not to underestimate any opponent.
“The Asian Games will not be an easy tournament for us.
“Our athletes are 100 percent ready for the Games but we have been to so many tournaments recently and it is pretty clear to us that other countries have improved as well.”
The Kingdom’s best bets, as in almost every other martial arts competition including boxing, are in the lighter weight divisions.
They are pinning their hopes on Panipak Wongpattanakit, who recently failed in her attempt to complete a hattrick of Asian titles.
Despite her stunning defeat at the hands of Kang Bo-Ra of South Korea and returning home empty-handed from the Asian tourney, Panipak is seen as a gold medal favourite at the Asian Games.
Nicknamed “Tennis”, Surat Thaninative Panipak, who celebrates her 21st birthday on Wednesday, is currently the top-ranked fighter in the world in the women’s 49kg class.
A favourite to win gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Panipak had to settle for a bronze.
After claiming bronze at the 2014 Asian Games, she is determined to bring back a gold medal to the Kingdom this month, but would only commit herself to “doing my best for Thailand at the Asian Games”.
The two other members of the women’s squad are Phannapa Harnsujin (53kg) and Vipawan Siripornpermsak (57kg).
Ramnarong Sawekwiharee, who won silver at the 2018 Asian Championships and gold at the 2017 SEA Games in the men’s 54kg class, is also being tipped for success in the Asian Games, but he will be at a massive disadvantage in Indonesia.
With there being no 54kg class in the Games, Ramnarong has been forced to enter the 58kg class and his efforts may fall short in a heavier weight class than in his usual one.
The other three members of the team are Tawin Hanprab (63kg), Nutthawee Klompong (68kg) and Nattapat Tantramart (over 80kg).
Tawin is considered as one of Thailand’s best hopes in Indonesia, having won the silver medal in the 54kg division at the 2016 Rio Games.
Meanwhile, the poomsae (dance) discipline, which is an artistic exhibition of demanding movements, is also being introduced at the Games and there is no reason to assume that the South Korea won’t fare well.
The event offers four gold medals in the men’s individual and team, women’s individual and mixed pair competitions.
However, this development would not have taken place had the host country not scented the opportunity to pick up a few medals.
Thailand will be fielding six athletes in the poomsae events and are expecting to win one gold medal.