Panipak top Thai bet for Tokyo gold
Thai taekwondo star Panipak Wongpattanakit is aiming to win gold at the 2020 Olympic Games.
The 22-year-old is the top-ranked exponent in the women’s 49kg division and one of the country’s best hopes in Tokyo.
An Olympic gold medal is the only missing item in her glittering collection.
She was also a contender at the 2016 Olympics but had to settle for a bronze.
“My aim is definitely the gold medal. I was disappointed at the previous Olympics and that’s a lesson,” said Panipak.
“If I am 100 percent fit and do not have an injury, I am confident that I will return to Thailand [from Tokyo] with a gold medal.”
She added: “I am almost 100 percent ready now. I think my physical condition will peak when the Games come.”
However, her preparations has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Her handlers planned for her to train in South Korea but she now has to practise in Thailand because of the epidemic, while the Asian championships have also been postponed.
Thailand coach Choi Young Seok said she could only aim for gold at the
Tokyo Games because she is the No.1 athlete in her division.
“If she is not sick or injured, she should not miss out on winning gold,” said the Korean coach.
Panipak was yesterday unveiled at a press conference as a representative of CP Group in the company’s campaign to encourage Thais to give their moral support to the country’s Olympians.
Thailand have won Olympic gold medals in only two sports — boxing and weightlifting.
The Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association has been suspended from taking part in international tournaments after a number of its athletes tested positive at the 2018 world championships.