Striking out for love

If there is one sports coach who has made it into the hearts of the Thai public, it is Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, an accomplished trainer who has helped Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team make it to the very top of their sport.
Kiattipong, who is better known as Coach Aod, has spent more than 20 years, working to put Thailand women’s volleyball on the world map. And he succeeded better than even he expected.
But all good things come to an end and Kiattipong, who turns 50 today, has decided to put his family first. As he bade his farewells last Sunday shortly after the end of the Thai match against China in the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix Finals at the Indoor Stadium Hua Mark in Bangkok, Thai volleyball fans couldn’t stop the tears. Whether at the stadium or in front of their TV sets at home, the reaction was the same: dismay, disbelief and the realisation that the sport, while it might continue to prosper, would never be quite the same again.
In his farewell speech, Kiattipong said: “I would like to thank all the Thai fans who have so strongly supported me during my time working with the volleyball team. I would especially like to thank my father Sawai who inspired me to play volleyball and supported me to become a good coach. I’ve coached my players with love and care. Over the past 20 years, I have coached  five generations of players and have been privileged to witness the impressive developments in the team. Young talents have been recruited to strengthen the team and after spending some time with these potential players, I can honestly say that they have improved by leaps and bounds. It’s time to say goodbye. I need to settle down in China with my family. I am not in the least worried about the Thailand national team as I believe that another accomplished coach can follow in my footsteps.”
A former national player, Kiattipong was the backbone of the team that landed the host country the gold medal at the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai. His team took silver at the following edition two years later in Jakarta before he called it quits and moved into coaching.
The former spiker started his new career by steering the Thailand national youth girls (Under-18) team to finish an unprecedented fifth at the World Youth Girls Volleyball Championship in Chiang Mai and just one year later, was promoted to looking after the Thailand women’s national team. He made history by leading Thailand to qualify for the World Championship for the first time ever in 1998. Held in Japan, the event saw the Thai team finishing a distant 15th but well deserving of participating in such a top-flight event.
With Kiattipong at the helm, the Thailand team earned the respect of the world’s volleyball-governing body FIVB, which praised the ladies as the world’s second team with the most outstanding development. That accolade was confirmed later the same year, when he led Thailand to claim an unprecedented third at the Universiade in China.
Kiattipong’s most memorable success was achieved in 2009 when he steered Thailand into stunning perennial champions China for the first time to capture the historic Asian Championship in Hanoi. The team repeated the feat by overpowering the London Games bronze medallists Japan in the final showdown to win their second Asian title on home soil in 2013.
Kiattipong’s remarkable run with the Thailand women’s national team continued when the team finished in sixth place, their best-ever ranking, at the 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix, the premier women’s volleyball tournament held annually among the world’s top teams. The following year Thailand headed further up the order, finishing an incredible fourth and beating hosts China at home in Mainland China for the first time. They also reigned supreme at the AVC Cup in Kazakhstan.
Behind every successful man is a proud wife and Kiattipong is no exception to the rule. Two years ago, the hefty coach, who stands 195cm tall, married his long-time Chinese love Feng Kun, a promising 183cm setter who was instrumental in lifting the gold medal for her country at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
“I’ve called it a day because I want to be with Kun in China and establish a solid family life in Beijing. I am not giving up volleyball; indeed, I have already signed a three-year contract to coach the Beijing Automobile Works volleyball team, And I am confident that the Thailand women’s national team has a bright future ahead of them. Each of the players is self-disciplined and works hard in training and competitions, which is key to success. My proudest achievement as coach is that we started from zero and are now a winning team and what’s more, volleyball has become one of the most popular sports in Thailand,” Kiattipong says.
“A good memory I am taking to China is the great cohesion within the team. Even on the occasions where we have been disappointed by a bitter loss in a tournament, the girls hug one another, shed tears and boost the team morale and raise spirits.  Win or lose, we share the same feelings and speak the same words.
“I will come back to Thailand to acknowledge how far the Thai team has come and who knows, I might even return to help the Thai team as a team advisor.”