Thailand set Incheon target
Kingdom’s athletes hope to win at least 11 gold medals at Asian Games in South Korea
>> HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn yesterday granted an audience to Thailand’s officials and athletes who will take part in this month’s Asian Games.
The princess wished them success and told them to do their best for the country.
“I wish you all the best,’’ she said at Chitrlada Palace.
The contingent included Thai Olympic chief Yutthasak Sasiprabha and HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, who will compete in equestrian at the Sept 19-Oct 4 Asiad in Incheon, South Korea.
With 517 athletes (243 men and 274 women) competing in 33 sports, Thailand will begin the competition aiming to win at least 11 gold medals at the quadrennial event.
Gen Yutthasak said the Thais should take home at least the same number of gold medals they won in the previous tournament in Guangzhou in 2010.
“I am quite confident that we will be able to at least match our 11 gold medal haul in Guangzhou,’’ he said.
The country is spending about 270 million baht in preparations for the Incheon Games.
At the 2010 Games, Thailand finished with gold medals in sepak trakraw (four), sailing (three), taekwondo (two), boxing (one) and athletics (one).
In Incheon, their best hope is in sepak takraw, where Thai officials have targeted a sweep of four golds.
There will be six events in sepak takraw but each country is allowed to take part in a maximum four events.
“We aim to win all four gold medals,’’ said Thailand’s sepak takraw manager Pairote Acharungroj.
He said winning the men’s single team would be most difficult.
“South Korea are good in the event and we cannot underestimate them,” he said.
Pimol Srivikorn, president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, admitted that it would be tough to win two gold medals like they did in Guangzhou.
“This time we have to fight South Korean athletes,’’ he said.
One of Pimol’s favourites is Panipak Wongpattanakit, who claimed gold at the recent Youth Olympics.
Meanwhile, India’s sports authority has recommended slashing the country’s proposed Asian Games delegation by one third and sending only medal hopefuls to Incheon.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has sent a list of 944 athletes and officials for government approval to travel to the games.
However, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) wants that figure cut down and for the country to only send athletes with genuine medal chances to prevent India’s athletes being embarrassed.
The SAI wants the sports ministry to approve a delegation of around 600 people to participate in 26 disciplines at the Incheon Games and expect at least 70 medals.
“We have set a criteria for athletes to be ranked at least eighth in Asia to participate in the team events and minimum sixth for individual events,” Ajit Sharan, India’s sports secretary, said.
“We have spoken to the sports minister [Sarbananda Sonowal] on the issue and it will be up to him to take a final call.”
India sent 609 athletes in a delegation of 933 to the Guangzhou Games in China four years ago, when they participated in 35 disciplines and won 65 medals, including 14 gold.
Last week, the SAI said India are not likely to compete in baseball, bowling, fencing, karate, modern pentathlon, rugby, soft ball, soft tennis and triathlon in Incheon because of the athletes’ poor standards.
Football, basketball, sepaktakraw, handball and table tennis could also face the axe.
With the individual federations trying to muscle their way into the delegation, Sonowal has sought guidance from the prime minister’s office before announcing the delegation list.
The country’s sports officials have said the issue was not one of cost, but one of prestige and national pride.
“We don’t want the athletes to cut a sorry figure there,” SAI Director General Jiji Thomson said.
“We want to send people with a realistic chance of winning medals since it’s the country’s pride that is at stake.”