Panipak 'Tennis' Wongpattanakit and Janjaem 'B' Suwannapheng posing with their medals during the welcome ceremony. - The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Thailand's Olympians were given a heroes’ welcome as they returned to Thai soil on Tuesday (Aug 13), led by Panipak "Tennis" Wongpattanakit and Janjaem "B" Suwannapheng.
The athletes, who represented the nation at the Paris 2024 Olympics, stepped off Thai Airways flight TG931 this morning, greeted by a jubilant crowd of family members, sports fans, and officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The welcoming ceremony was attended by Tourism and Sports Minister Sermsak Pongpanich, Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Kongsak Yodmanee, and the chiefs of the national taekwondo and boxing associations.
Panipak Wongpattanakit, who made history in Paris as the first Thai athlete to win gold medals at two consecutive Olympics in the women's 49kg taekwondo category, led the team.
Thailand had set an ambitious target of six gold medals at the Games.
Joining Panipak was Janjaem Suwannapheng, who secured a bronze medal in the women's 66kg boxing, ensuring that Thailand did not return home empty-handed from the boxing arena.
Overall, the Thai delegation brought home a total of one gold, three silver, and two bronze medals from the July 23-Aug 11 Games. While the medal tally was an improvement from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Thailand won just one gold and one bronze, it fell short of the pre-Games target of six golds.
The silver medal winners included Kunlavut Vitidsarn in men's singles badminton, Teerapong Silachai in men's 61kg weightlifting, and Weeraphon Vichuma in men's 73kg weightlifting. Surachana Kumbao also contributed to the medal count with a bronze in the men’s 49kg weightlifting category.
Despite missing the ambitious gold medal target, Panipak’s historic achievement shone as a moment of national pride.
The focus of Thai sports authorities will now shift to the future, including the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where Thailand will look regain its status as a regional sports powerhouse. - The Nation/ANN
