High-flying Thai shuttlers shot down in QF
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Bodin Isara and Maneepong Jongjit's dazzling Olympic odyssey came to a disappointing end yesterday when the Thai duo lost to Malaysia's Kien Keat Koo and Boon Heong Tan in the quarter-finals.
The Games debutants won the hearts of fans in London with an attacking style that propelled them to three successive wins and victory in the Group stage. But they failed to maintain that high standard yesterday as the Malaysians battled to a 21-16 21-18 win in 40 minutes.
The pressure of high expectations seemed to take its toll as a below-par performance saw the duo commit error after error to fall behind 0-9 and 5-14 in both games. When the Thais finally found their momentum, the margin was too wide to catch the Malaysian team, who produced solid defence on crucial points.
Bodin-Maneepong’s exit added salt to the Thai team’s wounds, with mixed doubles duo Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam having lost their quarter-final match to fourth-seeded Joachim Fischer and Christina Pedersen of Denmark a night earlier.
“I was disappointed as I hoped for a lot from this Olympics,” said Maneepong, also 21. “We missed points we shouldn’t have, but Malaysia were well-prepared coming into the match.”
Teenager Ratchanok Inthanon remains the last hope for Thai badminton at the Olympics. The 17-year-old upset sixth-seeded Juliane Schenk of Germany 21-16 21-15 in the round of 16 to book a quarter-final date against world No 2 Xin Wang of China, scheduled for last night.
Elsewhere, in shooting, a nerve-wracked Tanyaporn Prucksakorn shot well below her best in the women’s 25m pistol final for a total 778.4 to finish eighth and bottom in the standings.
In qualification, she fired 586 for second place, five points behind leader Kim Jangmi of South Korea. But nerves got the better of her in the final where she produced the lowest score of 192.4.“I was very excited out there,’’ said Tanya.
