Shuttlers produce record haul
Hosts rake in 3 titles at Thailand Masters
Thai shuttlers wrapped up their most successful campaign at the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters by claiming three titles yesterday.
Nitchaon Jindapol, Jongkolphan Kititharakul, Rawinda Prajongjai, Tinn Isriyanet and Kittisak Namdash delighted the home crowd at Bangkok’s Nimibutr Stadium yesterday after winning the women’s singles, women’s doubles and men’s doubles honours respectively.
In the first two editions of the tournament, Ratchanok Intanon (2016) and Busanan Ongbamrungphan (2017) were the only Thai winners, both bagging the women’s singles titles.
The 2017 champion Busanan, who beat world No.20 Aya Ohori of Japan in last year’s decider, had pulled out of the US$150,000 (approximately 4.9 million baht) BWF World Tour Super 300 tournament because of an ankle injury.
The only blemish in an otherwise perfect final day for the Kingdom was Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Puttita Supajirakul’s loss in the mixed doubles decider.
In the first final of the day, top seed Nitchaon beat compatriot Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-11, 21-18 to win the women’s singles title.
It was world No.16 Nitchaon’s second title in a space of three months. The 26-yearold Phuket native won the Bitburger Open in Germany last November.
In the women’s doubles title match, Jongkolphan and Rawinda combined to defeat No.2 seeds Anggia Shitta Awanda and Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istarani of Indonesia 21-19, 21-17.
Unseeded Tinn and Kittisak then took the third win for the Thai contingent when they upset seventh seeds Wahyu Nayaka Arya Pangkaryanira and Ade Yusuf Santoso of Indonesia 21-18, 11-21, 22-20.
Fifth seeds Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying of Malaysia spoiled the party for the home fans, beating seventh seeds Dechapol and Puttita 21-15, 14-21, 21-16 in the mixed doubles final.
Indonesia’s second seed Tommy Sugiarto took home the men’s singles honours after defeating Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao
21-16, 21-15.
The tournament was launched in 2016 in honour of HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, a former national team player who won gold in the women’s team event at the 2005 SEA Games.