Although not a sports powerhouse, Thailand has over the past five decades produced many heroes and h
Their impact has been felt around the world and In this, our final edition, we pay tribute to their historic achievements. Sports editor Lerpong Amsa-ngiam recalls these unforgettable moments that will linger in our hearts forever.
Golden example
The history of Thai sports would not be complete without mentioning the historic day on December 16, 1967 when His Majesty the late King Bhumibol won the South East Asian Peninsular Games (now the SEA Games) gold medal in the OK Dinghy Class sailing competition. His Majesty, a true sports enthusiast who was involved in various sports disciplines such as badminton, golf, skiing, tennis and sailing, remains the only king in the region to win a SEA Games gold medal. December 16 is therefore recognised as National Sports Day.
Golf star Ariya Jutanugarn pinned a new chapter in the history book by becoming the first Thai to win on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour following her victory in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic in Alabama, May 2016. She continued her impressive form to win back-to-back titles at Kingsmill Championship in Virginia and LPGA Volvik Championship in Michigan in the same month, making her the only player to win her first three titles in consecutive tournaments. Ariya stepped even higher to become the first Thai to win a Major title in the 2016 Women’s Open and rose to No 1 in the world in June 2017. To date, she has won 10 LPGA titles, including her second major victory at the 2018 US Women’s Open. She is the first player in history to win Player of the Year, Race to CME Globe, Annika Major Award, LPGA Vare Trophy, Top 10 Leaders, be top of the Money List and be ranked world No 1, all in the same season.
Lightning quick leftie
On July 15, 1975, Saensak Muangsurin, a southpaw from Phetchabun, put Thailand on the world map when he defeated Perico Fernandez of Spain for the WBC light welterweight title by technical knockout in the eighth round. It was only his third professional fight and Saensak thus set a world record for taking the shortest time to win the world title. Sadly, he passed away on April 16 2009 but Saensak’s place in the record books and people’s hearts is assured.
Prasert Changmoon
An historic goal
On October 1, 1990 – Chinese National Day – Prasert Changmoon broke the hearts of the fans at the packed Workers Stadium in Beijing by scoring the goal that knocked the hosts out of the Asian Games in the quarter-finals, one of the biggest results in Thai football history. However, the Kingdom has never managed to grab an Asian Games football medal, finishing fourth four times, in 1990, 1998, 2002 and 2014.
A King from Khon Kaen
At Atlanta 1996, another boxing sensation Somluck Khamsing announced himself on the world stage when he defeated Bulgarian Serafim Todorov in the men’s featherweight final to capture Thailand’s first ever Olympic gold medal. The Khon Kaen-born has a roller-coaster career but will always be regarded as a Thai boxing legend. His successors Wijan Ponlid won the men’s flyweight in Sydney Games four years later and Somjit Jongjohor also in flyweight in Beijing 2008.
Courting attention
Tennis had never been at the forefront of Thai sports circles until Paradorn Srichaphan stunned the world by knocking out former champion Andre Agassi to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2002. A one-time world No 9, Paradorn won four professional titles but the Thai with the best result in a grand slam was Tamarine Tanasugarn, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2008.
Instant megastars
Never before a mass sport, the women’s volleyball team turned themselves into overnight megastars after they beat odds-on favourites China to win the 2009 Asian Championships with a 3-1 victory in Hanoi. Ever since then Thailand has been gripped by volleyball fever and it has become one of the Kingdom’s favourite sports. Courting attention Tennis had never been at the forefront of Thai sports circles until Paradorn Srichaphan stunned the world by knocking out former champion Andre Agassi to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2002. A one-time world No 9, Paradorn won four professional titles but the Thai with the best result in a grand slam was Tamarine Tanasugarn, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2008.
Isaan’s celebrated rubbish collector
From garbage to gold, former trash collector Srisaket Sor Rungvisai took the world by storm on March 18, 2017 after dethroning Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua by a majority decision to take the World Boxing Council super flyweight belt at Madison Square Garden in New York. In their rematch five months later in California, the Thai fighter underlined his supremacy over Gonzalez, this time by knock-out. However, his domination of the WBC flyweight division ended when he was stopped by Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada in April.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprapha, standing on the right, next to the English Premier League trophy, during a picture session with Leicester City after the team won the 2015-16 season.
Vichai: a man never to be forgotten
One of the world’s most astonishing stories in the football history occurred in May 2016 when Leicester City FC, then owned by Thai business tycoon Vichai Srivaddhanaprapha, won the 2015-16 English Premier League trophy while bookmakers gave 5,000-1 odds on them winning the title. Under the reign of the late King Power’s owner Vichai as chairman, the club won the EPL top flight league for the first time in their 132-year history. Two years later, Vichai passed away in a helicopter clash near the team’s King Power Stadium, a loss mourned throughout world sport. He was succeeded as Leicester chairman by his son Aiyawatt.
Thailand women’s football team celebrate after beating Vietnam 2-1 in the fifth place play-off of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in May 2014.
Ladies first
Footballers beat the men to history Thai football fans had always dreamed of seeing their team in the World Cup finals but few expected it would be the women’s team that made that a reality. After beating Vietnam 2-1 in the fifth place playoff at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in May 2014, Thailand earned their first slot at the 2015 Cup Finals in Canada, only to exit at the group stage.
Udomporn Polsak
An Olympic first
August 15 2004 marked the day that Thailand swelled with pride at its first Olympic female gold medallist as Udomporn Polsak won the 53kg women’s weightlifting competition in Greece, four days before Pawina Thongsuk won the second weightlifting gold for the Kingdom in the women’s 75kg. The Thai weightlifters went on to win three more gold medals, courtesy of Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon (53kg) at Beijing 2008, by Sopita Tanasan (53kg) and Sukunya Srisurat (58kg) at Rio 2016.
Ratchanok Intanon at the 2013 Badminton World Championship.
Ratchanok, a record-setter
After winning three World Junior Championships titles from 2009-11, Ratchanok Intanon sent a message to the world that she was a new force to be reckoned with by winning the 2013 Badminton World Championships. Aged just 18, she upset defending and world No 1 Li Xuerui of China in the final to become the sport’s youngest world champion. Three years later, in April 2016, she made headlines again, becoming the first Thai singles player to reach No 1 in the world following three straight Super Series victories (India, Malaysia and Singapore titles), the first player to claim such a hat-trick.
Into the digital age
Finally, as the world is moving at fast pace towards the digital era, tremendous changes are coming, one of which is the increasing presence of technology in sport. Inevitably, eSports is a part of that, even though some people may regard it as no more than video games. Millions of youngsters are die-hard fans of this cyber-version of competition, which will surely one day take its place in the Olympic schedule. Nevertheless, nothing can match or replace real-life sports, which require specialist skills and physical toughness for those who yearn to scale its heights. Its beauty will keep enchanting fans forever.
