Disappointment for Thailand: Sopita fails to medal

The 2016 Rio Games champion from Chumphon did not live up to expectations, lifting just 199 kg, some way short of the 210 kg she lifted to claim gold at the World Championships in Anaheim last year - and had to settle for fifth place. Report said she has been suffering a back injury. She was heart broken by the result and returned to the Athlete Village right after the competition.

Surodchana Khambao

It was left to teammate Surodchana Khambao to save Thailand’s blushes, winning bronze with a lift of 201 kg.
The gold went to Filipina Hidilyn Diaz with 207kg, one kilo better than Kristina Shermetova of  Turkmenistan.

Natalie Panyawan 

Happier news for Thailand was provided by Samui-based cyclist Natalie Panyawan, who shone on day four of competition, earning a bronze medal on her Asian games debut.
Panyawan clocked 1:25.17 hours to finish third in the women’s cross-country at Khe Bun Hill in Subang and secure a third medal for the Thai cycling team. 
The 18-year-old crossed the finish line some distance behind Chinese cyclists Yao Bianwa and Li Hongfeng, who timed 1:20.17 and 1:24.56 hours respectively.
The Cycling Association of Thailand has achieved above and beyond its pre-set target in Indonesia, reaping three medals including a silver from Vipavee Deekaballae in women’s downhill and a bronze from Sueksakun Sukchanya in the men’s downhill on Monday.

Ratchanok Intanon

The women’s badminton team failed to repeat their Uber Cup success in May, when they beat the mighty Chinese to reach the final in Bangkok. 
Yesterday they were blanked 3-0 by China in the semi-finals but this time all the top Chinese stars were in the line-up and it made the difference.
 World No 5 Chen Yufei gave China a great start, beating Thai world No 4 Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 17-21 21-17. Then world No 3 Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan beat Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 22-20 16-21 21-14 in the doubles.
 In the third rubber, world No 7 He Bingjiao easily tackled world No 11 Nitchaon Jindapol 21-17 21-12 to clinch victory.
“If we had won the first singles and doubles rubbers, we would have beaten China again like we did in the Uber Cup,” said Thailand coach Rexy Mainaky.

 In the women’s taekwondo 57kg, Chulalongkorn University student Vipawan Siripornpermsak led Lee Ahreum of South Korea 10-8, only for the defending champion to launch a late attack and win the semi-final 12-10.
 “I was so close to reaching the final but I made mistakes in the end. She is a good fighter and has more experience. However I came further than I had expected,” said the 18-year-old Vipawan, who has only recently risen from the junior ranks.
Taekwondo has been good to Thailand already, however, with golds in both the women’s team poomsae and the men’s individual poomsae, for Pongporn Suvittayarak.

 In sepak takraw, the men’s team regu moved a step closer to defending their title by beating India 2-0 in the semi-finals to set up a rematch with Malaysia in today’s final.
In women’s sepak takraw regu Preliminary Group A, Thailand beat India 3-0 to reach the semi-finals as group winners and will take on Myanmar today. South Korea, as Group B winners, will play Vietnam in the other semi-final.
Shooters Napis Tortungpanich and Thongphaphum Vongsukdee reached the final of the 50m rifle three positions but fell short, finishing as the bottom two, seventh and eighth, with 396 and 394.7 respectively.