Ratchawat punches a ticket, shooters, lifters disappoint
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Thailand's Ratchawat Kaewpanya booked a spot in the pommel horse final after he scored 14.750 during the men's gymnastics qualification round at Namdong Gymnasium yesterday.
The former SEA Games gold medallist competed in only two events, including the parallel bars in which he finished a poor 23rd. He was the only Thai to make the final as compatriot Robert Tee Kriangkum failed to reach the last eight in all four events – pommel horse, parallel bars, vault and floor exercise.
“I’m really happy to reach the final in the event, which is my strongest. But I used to score a bit higher than 14.750 and hopefully I can do it again for a chance to earn a medal,” said Ratchawat, who was seventh among 58 competitors. Ratchawat is also the only Asean gymnast in the top 15 of the pommel horse event with Japanese Tomomasa Hasegawa, South Korea’s Donghyen Shin and China’s Yuguo Huang dominating the top three places with 15.500, 15.200 and 14.825 respectively. The final is due on Wednesday.
As the Games moved into its second day, Thailand failed to get on to the medals table. Medal hopefuls such as shooters and weightlifters are yet to hit the mark.
At the Ongnyeon International Shooting Range, the 10m air pistol men’s team fired a combined 1,708, which placed them eighth behind Singapore, and Vietnam, fifth with 1,732. South Korea sealed the victory with a total of 1,744, one point ahead of silver medallists China and third-placed India.
In the men’s trap event, Savate Sresthaporn, the only Thai in action, shot 117 points to finish 10th, which was the best among Asean shooters.
At the Moonlight Festival Garden venue, the Thai weightlifting team, one of the medal prospects, disappointed. Kittima Sutanan and Sopita Tasanan lifted only 201kg and 205kg to finish seventh and fifth respectively in the women’s 53kg competition.
In tennis, Thailand moved into the quarter-final following a 3-0 win over Indonesia at the Yeorumul Tennis Courts. Thai No 2 Pruchya Isarow beat Harry Aditya Sasongko 6-3 6-2 before No 1 Danai Udomchoke toppled Christopher Rungkat 6-3 7-5. In the doubles, Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana ousted David Susanto and Elbert Sie 6-4 6-4.
Thailand today take on Japan in the quarter-finals in the battle for a bronze medal while the women’s team face Taiwan also for the bronze.
In fencing, Chantasuvannasin Nunta lost to Hong Kong’s Lin Po Heung 9-15 in the women’s foil individual quarter-finals.
