Thai women face Uzbek challenge, men to take on Indonesia

The Thai women are seeded fourth while Uzbekistan are strengthened by the presence in their ranks of world No 145 Nigina Abduraimova.

‘We beat them 2-1 in the Fed Cup this year. It will be a close and exciting tie but we are confident. Our players are all fit and ready for the Games,” said Thai assistant coach Pracharapol Khamsaman, a former national player, who expects his team to take on Taiwan in the quarter-finals. 

Thailand have sent a strong line-up: No 1 Luksika Kumkhum, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in the singles, Tamarine Tanasugarn, who will be appearing for a record sixth Asian Games, and Varatchaya Wongteanchai in the doubles. 

“Luksika and Noppawan are the main choice for the singles. However, if we go to a deciding rubber, Luksika and Tammy are there,” Pracharapol said. The men’s team, seeded eighth, got a first-round bye. They will play Indonesia in the second round on Sunday. Danai Udomchoke, Pruchya Isarow, Sonchat and Sancha Ratiwatana and Games debutant Nuttanon Kadchapanan form the line-up. “We are a better team than Indonesia and we should move past them. But Japan are in our group of the draw and they are quite tough,” said doubles player Nuttanon. 

 

‘Gangnam Style’ welcome

North Korea were welcomed to the Asian Games yesterday to the strains of “Gangnam Style”. Their athletes and officials gave a polite smile but responded with a wall of stony silence.

North Korean athletes looked on blankly as breakdancers performed to the international hit by South Korean star Psy.

Their Singaporean, Chinese, Thai and Yemeni counterparts smiled and took pictures as dancers spun to the tune that has inspired more than two-billion YouTube views. Only one North Korean woman dared the slightest handclap. In contrast, the North Korean delegation belted out the words to their national anthem, “Aegukga”, or Patriotic Song, as the isolated state's flag was hoisted in the athletes village along with those of the other new arrivals.

It was a unique occasion as normally anyone waving the North’s flag or singing “Aegukga” in South Korea faces arrest under Seoul's strict national security law.

North Korea’s presence has been one of the main talking points ahead of the Games.

Their athletes and officials, mobbed by journalists at the flag-raising ceremony, appeared to be under instruction to stay tight-lipped. A couple of burly minders were on hand to fend off persistent reporters.