TAEKWONDO
17-year-old wins silver on Olympic debut
WANCHAI RUJAWONGSANTI
BEIJING : Buttree Puedpong's childhood dream was to compete in the Olympics. She had a sweeter dream yesterday when she won a silver medal.
''When I was a child, I only dreamt of taking part in the Olympics and I would be happy if I could make it,'' said the highschool student after losing 1 to minus 1 to China's Wu Jingyu in the final.
She was happier yesterday. At just 17, she became Thailand's most successful-ever taekwondo exponent. Yaowapa Burapolchai was Thailand's first Olympic medallist in taekwondo when she won a bronze in Athens four years ago, also in the 49kg class.
On her way to the gold medal bout in Beijing, she beat all her opponents in thrilling fashion. She defeated Cuba's Daynellis Montejo 1-0 in sudden death, edged out Tran Thi Ngoc Truc of Vietnam 2-1 in sudden death and pipped Dalia Contreras Rivero of Venezuela on a count-back after a 2-2 draw.
Buttree took up taekwondo by chance and that gave her the opportunity to become a national sporting heroine. When she was 11, she went to the gym with her older sister Passorn, a former national player. She soon fell in love with Korea's martial art and has since made fast progress.
Buttree, of Samut Prakan, needed only three years to receive a call-up to the national youth team and quickly showed her potential.
Her rise to stardom began in 2006 when she not only won a title at the World Junior Championships in Vietnam but also took home the best player of the tournament award.
''Winning gold was a dream come true,'' she said after her success at the Vietnam tournament.
''My ultimate dream is to win an Olympic medal.''
She did not have to wait for too long to kick down an Olympic medal. However, earlier this year she did not even know whether she would make it to Beijing with Yaowapa and rising star Mae-num Chirdkiatisak standing in her way.
In fact, she eyed her Olympic debut in the 2012 Games in London. But when the chance came around, she duly grabbed it.
Yaowapa withdrew from the play-off to select Thailand's representative in the 49kg class leaving Buttree to face Mae-num for a Beijing berth.
SEA Games champion Buttree comfortably beat World University Games winner Mae-num and her dream of competing in the Olympics became true earlier than she expected.
''I had never thought that I would get such a great opportunity so soon,'' she said after clinching an Olympic spot. ''But I am ready for it, no problem.''
She will become a millionaire when she returns home thanks to bonus from the government and the private sector including six million baht (three million in cash and the rest salary for 10 years) from the National Sports Development Fund.
The teenage star said she would give the bonus to her parents to build a new house in Samut Prakan.
However, she insisted that fame and financial incentives that will come with the silver medal will not change her life. ''I will be the same,'' she said.
Nicknamed ''Song'' (second), Buttree may become ''Nueng'' (first) in London.
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