Thai Paralympic athletes join flag raising ceremony
Col Osot Pawilai, secretary-general of the International Paralympic Committee of Thailand, and the Thailand’s Paralympic contingent including wheelchair fencer Saysunee Jana, wheelchair racers Saichon Konjen and Prawat Wahoram, joined the Thailand Flag-ra
Thailand are sending a total of well-qualified 45 athletes with disabilities to the Paralympic Games, which are due to be held between September 7 and 18 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In their preparation for the Rio Paralympic Games, the Thai athletes with disabilities have been training intensively with high hopes of returning with glory and the targeted four gold, the amount of gold medals they achieved at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
Rungroj Thainiyom, gold medallist at the table tennis competition in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, admitted that he had suffered difficulties in the past three days in Brazil as he has to adjust himself to the Brazil’s conditions.
“Our coach has suggested us that we train hard to gain our fitness as early as we can. Our training was basically focussed on how to smash it effectively. So far, we have gradually gained strength and I’m upbeat we will be fully fit physically and mentally ahead of the competition. However, during the past three days, I have to adjust myself to the Brazil conditions, not only to the weather conditions, but also the time difference,” Rungroj said.
As for the Thailand’s wheelchair racing team, coach Suprot Pengpoom said that the Thai team could not be able to train at the actual competition venue due to the disallowance from the organising committee. It is likely that the training at the actual venue can be made before the start of the competition.
“We just keep training outside the venue and that has allowed us no information about the surface conditions of the venue. However, I don’t think the Paralympic venue will be that different from the one at the World Championships we took part in,” he said.
“As far as I’m corned, the physical conditions of Saichon (Konjen), Prawat (Wahoram) and Rawat (Tana) are improving in leaps and bounds and they have made a significant progress in their training. I’m confident that three of them will come up with better performances when the competition day arrives,” he added.
In the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, the Thailand athletes with disabilities captured four gold, two silver and two bronze medals to finish 31st place overall. The gold medallists comprised Pattaya Tadtong in the men’s individual boccia, Pattaya Tadtong/Mongkol Jitsa-Ngiem/Watcharaphon Vongsa and Witsanu Huadpradit in the men’s team boccia, Rungroj Thainiyom in the men’s individual table tennis event and Saysunee Jana in the women’s wheelchair fencing.
