Thai athletes will wear blue jacket at Olympics, committee confirms
Thai athletes will wear a blue jacket with a dark vertical red stripe down the centre during the opening ceremony of Paris Olympics 2024 on July 26, the National Olympic Committee of Thailand said on Friday.
The committee said the pattern was inspired by the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site after coming under fire from netizens on Thursday over the design of the athletes’ formal uniform. Many people complained that it was far inferior compared to the Olympic uniforms designed by other countries.
Secretary-general Wit Thephasadin na Ayutthaya said the committee would accept all comments as Thai people have the right to express their opinions politely.
He explained that fashion brands had been appointed to propose designs for the athletes’ kits, including sportswear, jacket, formal uniform, shoes and bags.
He confirmed that the uniform design aims to promote Thai soft power via clothes and textiles, adding that the committee was responsible for selecting uniforms that would be used during the event.
Wit added that the formal uniform, which has gone viral on social media, was slightly different from the original design due to urgent production deadlines. He confirmed that Thai athletes would wear the blue jacket at the opening ceremony.
He refuted Thai netizens’ claim against Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, clarifying that the princess was not involved in the design of the Olympic uniform.
“We believe that the design for international competitions, such as Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympics, will be universally accepted. But this year we thought that we should project a Thai identity,” he said.
He affirmed that the committee’s efforts were for national benefits, while asking people to cheer for the 51 Thai athletes who will participate in 14 disciplines from July 26 to August 11.
Meanwhile the committee vice president, Charoen Wattanasin, assured that the formal uniform designed by Grand Sport and four agencies in Udon Thani province would be accepted internationally, saying that it would help promote Thai soft power contrary to the fears of affecting the country’s reputation.
“Thai athletes often wore their blazers, but they wore the formal uniform only once or twice,” he said. He also refuted the comparison of the Thai formal uniform with others from South Korea and Haiti, saying that each nation has its own culture and we have no right to judge.
