Forty-six Thai athletes make the cut for Rio Paralympic Games

The International Paralympic Committee have recently updated information about the Thailand’s track and field athletes who will be eligible for the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, making 46 Thai athletes in total including 31 men to be pitted in 10 sports disciplines at the Rio Paralympic Games. Additional 36 staff coaches, officials and team doctors will also join the Thailand’s Paralympic squad.

 

“We have been working hard the whole year, not only in training but also in competing internationally to vie for more Paralympic tickets. Finally, a total of 46 Thai athletes made the cut which, I think, is a great achievement,” Chutinant said.

 

“In terms of the medal prospects in Rio, four gold medals remain our target at the Paralympic Games we have won at the previous edition in London four years ago. They comprise Saisunee Jana in wheelchair fencing, Rungroj Thainiyom in table tennis, Pattaya Thedthong in Boccia and Rawat Tana in wheelchair racing. Rewat in particular has already proved himself a gold medal hopeful to be reckoned with in Rio as he performed superbly to win two gold medals in 5,000m, 10,000m in the IPC Athletics World Championships.”

 

According to Chutinant, those who are making the Paralympic Games for the first time, but have already proved to be Thailand’s medal hopefuls in Rio de Janeiro include runner Kewalin Wannamol, who claimed three gold medals at the 2015 Asean Para Games and swimmer Anchaya Ketkaew, who ruled the roost at the 2015 Asean Para Games with a big harvest of seven gold medals.

 

The 46 Thai athletes qualified for the Rio Paralympic Games consist of 13 in track and field, 4 swimmers, five shooters, seven table tennis players, two in wheelchair tennis, three archers, one in wheelchair fencing, eight in boccia, two in powerlifting and one judoka

 

The Paralympic Games will take place from September 7 to 18, featuring 22 sports events.