Just 3 boxers for Olympics is dismal result

The only consolation is that there are still three Thais – light flyweight Kaew Pongprayoon, flyweight Chatchai Butdee and lightweight Sailom Adi – who had punched their tickets to London last year.

Earlier this month, Thailand sent five fighters to the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Kazakhstan. There were high hopes that the five would join the three, who had already qualified via the World Boxing Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from September 22 to October 10 last year. It was a big letdown. The five, including the 2004 Athens Olympic silver medallist Worapoj Petchkoom, were miserable and crashed out quite early in the event. Many say that Thai boxing is in the doldrums while others see it as in the dumps.

Although none of the three fighters who will go to London are among the top three in their class, the feat is something Thai supporters can be proud of when one learns that 685 boxers from 127 countries sought to qualify for the Games.

Thais have won 21 medals in the history of the Olympic Games, mostly in boxing, and they look forward to keep the tradition going in the latest edition. Thailand first participated in the Olympics in Helsinki in 1952 and returned without a medal. However, they have sent athletes to every Summer Olympics since, except 1980, when they joined in the American-led boycott of the Moscow Games.

Payao Poontarat captured the first Olympic medal for Thailand, a bronze in the light flyweight division in the 1976 Games in Montreal. Boxer Dhawee Umpornmaha made history in 1984 when he claimed the first silver medal for the country. That singular feat motivated other Thai athletes, who returned with medals from every Olympics. 

Boxing remained the country’s most successful sport to date, with Somluck Kamsing putting Thailand on the world sporting map with his amazing achievement in the 1996 Atlanta Games, where he won the country’s first ever gold. So far, Thailand has won seven gold medals at various Olympic Games, four of them from boxing. 

But what about the future?

There were some warning signs that all may not be well in boxing in London. That emerged when Kaew, Chatchai and Sailom failed to make the semi-finals in the world meet. Powerhouses such as Cuba, Russia, Azerbaijan, China and Ukraine have taken a quantum leap in preparations. 

What can we expect from Thai counterparts in London? Their morale is already low after the latest setback of seeing their compatriots getting knocked out.

Thai boxing has been suffering for many years. Former Thai Amateur Boxing Association president Gen Taweep Janthraoj’s ego clash with AIBA ruined the sport in the country. The boxers suffered. There was a huge relief when AIBA banned him and Gen Narin Tabprasit was installed as the TBA president. But it was a sort of a false dawn. 

Boxers complained about a lack of foreign exposure and getting a pittance as daily allowance. The result is crystal clear: just three boxers from a nation that prides itself on its martial and combat sport history.

If no Thai boxer wins a medal in London, it will be a slap in the face for the regime and a stain on our collective conscience.

However, for the sake of the nation, we just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.