Thailand’s eight boxing quotas for Paris is their best performance since 2008
Thailand exceeded their previous performance and the Southeast Asian boxing power achieved eight quotas for the Paris Olympics. Thailand’s eight quotas means that this is their best performance since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Thailand competed first in the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games where all of their boxers lost in the preliminary rounds. The Southeast Asian country attended and qualified for sixteen boxing tournament of the Olympic Games between 1956 and 2021
Their first Olympic medal, a bronze, was achieved by a young talent in 1976, Payao Pooltarat at the 48kg weight class. Los Angeles delivered the second Thai medal in boxing where Dhawee Umponmaha bagged a silver medal at the light welterweight (63.5kg).
The Seoul 1988 Olympic Games saw one bronze medal for Thailand which was taken by Phajol Moolsan, while Arkhom Chenglai claimed a bronze in Barcelona four years later.
Thailand achieved four gold medals in the next four Olympic Games in Atlanta, in Sydney, in Athens and in Beijing. Somluck Kamsing, Wijan Ponlid, Manus Boonjumnong and Somjit Jongjohor were their gold medallists between 1996 and 2008. Worapoj Petchkoom achieved an additional silver medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games which was a surprise result.
Their last male medal in the Olympic Games was a silver which was taken by Kaeo Pongprayoon in the London 2012 Olympics. The Thai veteran lost a narrow final to China’s two-time Olympic Champion Zou Shiming at the light flyweight (49kg) in London.
Sudaporn Seesondee became Thailand’s first ever woman boxer who earned bronze medal in an Olympic Games. The 30-year-old boxer advanced to the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympic Games and she had a seriously narrow contest against Ireland’s eventual winner Kellie Harrington at the women’s lightweight (60kg).
Thailand bagged five quotas through the Asian Games in Hangzhou, and one of their female stars took the country’s sixth spot for Paris at the 1st World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok. Thailand hosted the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event two weeks ago and two of their further boxers qualified for Paris. Thailand will be in training camps in Germany and in France before the Paris Olympics and the country is aiming for their fifth Olympic title in boxing this summer.
Don’t forget you can keep up with all of the action, news, results and photos by following ASBC on Facebook and Instagram.
ASBC website: www.asbcnews.org
ASBC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ASBC.Boxing/
ASBC Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asbc_official/
ASBC Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BoxingAsian?s=08