FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Para Games athletes return triumphant with 21 gold medals

Para Games athletes return triumphant with 21 gold medals

Thai athletes emerged triumphant with a total of 21 gold medals after a blaze of fireworks brought a colourful curtain down on the Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Held every four years just after the Asian Games, the Para Games kicked off last Saturday, with over 2,400 disabled athletes from 43 countries vying for the top honour in 23 sport disciplines.
After bagging 20 gold medals and fifth place at the debut Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China four years ago, Thailand sent a strong delegation of 323 athletes and officials to test their mettle in 15 sports in Incheon. The campaign was backed by a Bt35-million war chest allocated by the Sports Authority of Thailand for training and competition.
Medal hopes were high, but after organisers made changes to competition classes, Paralympic Committee of Thailand president Chutinant Bhirombhakdi was reluctant set a target for Thai athletes, though Sports Association of the Disabled of Thailand president Osod Pawilai weighed in with a confident prediction of 25 golds.
After seven days of fierce competition against some of the world’s best disabled athletes from powerhouses such as China, Japan, South Korea and Iran, Thailand captured a total of 21 gold, 39 silver and 47 bronze medals in Incheon, improving on their Guangzhou showing four years ago.
Gold-medal performances came from London Paralympic 2012 veterans including Pattaya Tadthong, two boccia players, Rungroj Thainiyom in table tennis, and wheelchair racer Prawat Wahoram.  
China retained their overall Games title with a medal haul of 174 golds. Hosts South Korea finished a distant second place with 72 golds, while Japan were third with 38. Iran and Uzbekistan finished fourth and fifth with 37 and 22 gold medals respectively.
Athletics proved the richest hunting ground for Thailand, yielding 11 golds for our athletes. Surang Khamsuk handed the Kingdom the first gold medal in the women’s javelin, triggering the bonanza for Thailand in track-and-field. Phichai Bonsri then sealed a dominating Thai performance in the throwing events by winning the men’s discus.
On the track, wheelchair athlete Rawat Tana powered to two gold medals in his pet 1,500m and 5,000m events, while Pichaya Kurattanasiri emulated that effort by winning the men’s 200m and 400m events. Veteran Saichon Konjen proved that he remains the best in his 100m class and added another gold in the 800m. 
Elsewhere, Pattaya Tadtong, who burst into his prominence in the London Paralympics, bowled over the opposition in the boccia mixed individual competition, while Worawuth Saengampa bagged another gold in the same event in his class. Thailand took a third boccia gold in the mixed team event. Powerlifting brought more Thai joy, with Wandi Kongmuang and Arawan Bootpo heaving their way to victory, while wheelchair tennis delivered two gold medals for the team, one from Sakhorn Khanthasist in the women’s singles.
Thai athletes ended their campaign with a bang yesterday at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, as Kitsana Jorchuy in the men’s 400m and the boccia players helped boost the team’s tally with another four gold medals.
Following a finale of traditional Korean music and dance performances followed by fireworks and K-pop, athletes headed for home last night flushed with pride after a near-flawless Games boosted by the host’s army of devoted volunteers.
 
 
 
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