Olympic breakthrough beckons for Thai shuttlers

The BWF announced early this month that each nation could send two players to the singles competition if both are ranked in the world top 16. This differs from the 2012 London Olympics, where three singles players from a country could qualify if they were in the world top four. The quota for doubles – a maximum of two pairs per country, both ranked in the top eight – remains unchanged.

The change undoubtedly provides a greater opportunity for players outside traditional badminton powerhouses China, South Korea and Indonesia, to compete at Olympic level.

Eight Thai players, led by the then top men’s singles player Sompol Kukasemkij, made the cut for Barcelona in 1992, where badminton was included in the Olympics for the first time. Thai shuttlers have qualified for every Games since, but have failed to match rivals from powerhouse countries and crashed out in early rounds. The largest contingent of Thai qualifiers for the Olympics was eight players, in Barcelona in 1992 and also in Athens in 2004. Nevertheless, the number of qualifiers is just a figure and means nothing if the players fail to make an impact. Quality always speaks louder than quantity.

At the London Games two years ago, six Thais packed with talent and full of high hopes stepped onto the courts. After ace Boonsak Ponsana fell at the very first hurdle, teen sensation Ratchanok Intanon, the men’s pairing of Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjitr and mixed pair Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkham advanced to the quarter-finals. It was an impressive feat and a matter of pride for the country to see its players go so far in a competition they had never previously survived beyond the early rounds.

The Rio Olympics are still 900 days away and Thai shuttlers still have plenty of time to improve their rankings before the world rankings on May 5, 2016, decide who goes to the next Games.

Current world champion Ratchanok is now ranked No 3 in the world, while upcoming Porntip Buranaprasertsuk is No 10. Boonsak, who has played in four Olympics, is No 6, with partners Sudket and Saralee ranked No 8.

Ratchanok, Porntip and Sudket and Saralee all have the potential to become dominant forces, having each tasted success in their career. Meanwhile, Boonsak needs to show more killer instinct on court to finish off his rivals.

However many Thai badminton players finally make it to Rio, let’s keep our fingers crossed that the Kingdom’s best put on an exhilarating display and stun the world.