Boonsak eyes gold in last Olympics

Thailand’s Olympic medal successes have so far been confined to boxing, weightlifting and taekwondo. But badminton can now step up to the mark, with Thai players capable of springing a few surprises.

Only six Thai shuttlers will join the Games, scheduled for July 27 to August 12. Boonsak, who broke a title drought by winning the Singapore Open recently, and world No 10, three-time world junior champion Ratchanok, will fight it out in the men’s and women’s singles. The squad also features mixed-doubles duo Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam, ranked No 6 in the world, along with Bordin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit, world No 18 in the men’s doubles. 

Predictions on how far the Thai shuttlers could progress will have to wait until the draw is made on July 23. A fortuitous draw will be the first step in making their medal dreams come true. Whatever their luck, though, the certainty is that the going will be tough. Thai players seem rarely to get an easy ride in major international tournaments. 

Boonsak, heading into what will almost certainly be his last appearance at the Olympics, is the focus of media attention. He entered his first Olympics in Sydney 2000 but failed to make his mark. In the 2004 Athens Games, he ended up fourth. He was woefully out of touch in the Beijing Games four years ago and is desperately looking for an Olympic happy ending in London.

The tournament will see the world’s top players go all out to win the most coveted title in badminton. World No 1 Lin Dan of China, world No 2 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, former world No 1 Peter Gade from Denmark, South Korean southpaw Lee Hyun-il and the Athens Games gold medallist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia all stand in the way of Boonsak’s quest.

“I’m currently targeting winning the gold in the Games. It’s really a tough mission. I defeated Lin Dan in the final of the 2007 Singapore Open when he was ranked world No 1. He remains the world’s best player. To beat him is not an easy job,” said Boonsak, who plans to call it a day after the London Games.

“To maintain my form in London, I will need to keep my body fit until the Games. I feel that my fitness level is not very high. To win a medal, good technique, good footwork and handwork are a must. My feeling is that power is not as important as good footwork and handwork. Even fitness is less important than good handwork. If you get tired, you can’t hit quality shots and make it difficult for your opponent. [But] I will be keeping my best until last.”

Ratchanok packs an awesome punch for such small player and is known for her never-say-die spirit. She leapt onto the world stage when she won the world junior championship three-times-in-a-row. She also captured the India Open Grand Prix Gold last year, was runner-up in the Chinese Taipei Open, and a beaten finalist in this year’s Thailand Open.

Ratchanok has always fought hard in any tournament where she has flown the flag for Thailand. Without doubt, she is a strong medal hope, despite facing a formidable challenge from China, including world No 1 Wang Yihan.

But it’s the in-form pairing of Sudket and Saralee who probably have the best chance of landing a medal. In the recent Indonesia Open, they stunned world No 1 Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei to win the crown.