Thai legend Prawat rolls into Tokyo to defend Paralympic titles
Two Paralympic champions led the second group of Thai athletes into Tokyo on Friday for the 2020 Paralympic Games.
The group of 43 Thailand athletes and staff coaches jetted off from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 10pm on Thursday night.
The Thai team was led by wheelchair racers Prawat Wahoram and Pongsakorn Paeyo, who earned gold medals at the 2016 Games in Rio. With them were Harnruechai Netsiri, silver medallist in Rio Games archery, along with judo, weightlifting and wheelchair tennis athletes who will seek glory for Thailand in Tokyo.
Prawat, 40, and winner of two gold medals in Rio, told reporters he was confident of success in Tokyo after a long period of intense training for the Paralympics.
“The wheelchair racing team is fully prepared and ready to perform at our best. Personally, my goal is to do well in every discipline, especially the 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres where I am defending champion. I would encourage Thai sports fans to support me and the wheelchair racing team, and we will do our best in return.”
Thailand is sending a record 74 athletes to the Tokyo Paralympics, where they will compete in 14 sports – taekwondo, archery, badminton, wheelchair fencing, weightlifting, swimming, table tennis, athletics (track-court, wheelchair racing), cycling, shooting, wheelchair tennis, boccia, blind football and judo.
The team is aiming to better their medal tally in 2016, when Thailand won 18 medals – six gold, six silver and six bronze.
