After the high-profile Rio Olympic Games, a much-less-publicised event follows. The Paralympic Games will take place from Sept 7-18, also in Rio. Forty-six Thai athletes with disabilities will be going all out to clinch a podium finish, while the Paralympic Committee of Thailand has a set an initial target of four gold medals, the same number they won in London four years ago.
The 46 Thai athletes consist of 13 in track and field, four in swimming, five in shooting, seven in table tennis, two in wheelchair tennis, three in archery, one in wheelchair fencing, eight in boccia, two in powerlifting and one in judoka.
We talk to three athletes -- from archery, powerlifting and table tennis -- about their personal struggles, hopes and aspirations.
Aiming high
With close to two decades' experience under her belt, Paralympic archer Wasana Khuthawisup, 39, couldn't be in a better state of mind for the upcoming Paralympics. The athlete, who has had polio since the age of five, made her debut at the 1999 Far East and South Pacific Games.
Archer Wasana Khuthawisup is expecting to hit the bullseye and make it all the way to the podium. Photo courtesy of Archery Association of Thailand
Archery is a Paralympic sport where the rules are the same for both able-bodied and disabled competitors. Due to this, she feels a certain fulfilment whenever she wins.
"It's like I'm proving to myself and others that I won solely because of my skills and talent, and not because the rules are more relaxed for people like me," she said.
But the Paralympics is always a tough arena, and although she has qualified for the Games three times, she crashed out in the round of 16 at the 2012 Paralympics in London, though she won the silver in the 2004 Games.
"I am happy to report that unlike in the past, the preparations for this Paralympics has gone very well for the archers. We have had a good mix of competitions and training in the last eight months, which has boosted our confidence enormously," said Wasana.
"In the past, athletes with physical and mental challenges have felt neglected because there were discrepancies in the way sporting officials treated us. One glaring inconsistency was in the prize money. Able-bodied athletes used to get way much more than us, in most instances triple the amount, and sometimes more.
"Today this has changed. For the Rio Paralympics, the prize money for a gold medallist will be 6 million baht, a silver medallist 4 million baht and bronze medallist 2 million. This is much closer to what able-bodied athletes get for their medals. This move has given us hope for the future."
Wasana said this year they have introduced two types of packages for Paralympic medallists. The aforementioned prize-money rates are package A, while package B is divided into cash prize and a monthly salary.
If athletes decide to select package B, a gold medal will be 7.2 million baht, silver medal 4.8 million baht and bronze medal 3 million baht. There is about a million baht increased incentive behind this because frequently athletes spend all their cash prize in one go and are left with nothing for their future.
Wasana battled poverty during her childhood and depression later in life to become the strong, independent women she is today. Her star-studded career attests to her diligence and perseverance to reach each goal she sets for herself.
Some of her career highlights have been a bronze at the World Championships in Italy and a harvest of gold medals at the Asean Para Games. These accolades have served to erase the misconception that people with physical disabilities are worthless and a burden on their families and society, said Wasana.
Power lifting
Having polio since the age of one might have caused Narong Kasanun years of heartache. But today, the powerlifter says the negative experience made him into a stronger person. Now a veteran, Narong, 39, became a household name ever since picking up his first Paralympic bronze medal in 2008. This is the third time he has qualified, and he is hoping to clinch gold.
Narong Kasanun, who is hoping to make an impression in Rio, has skills in Powerlifting that are second to none. Photo: YVONE BOHWONGPRASERT
The Satun-born athlete, who hails from a middle-class fisherman's family, is adamant about putting on a promising show in Rio as he advances in years.
Narong has been with the national team for over 12 years, and had the privilege of representing Thailand on numerous occasions.
With age comes wear and tear, he said, so while he hopes to continue on as long as he can, the Paralympics in Rio is one venue where he hopes to pick up a gold medal, before his chances of winning decrease considerably.
Narong goes that extra mile to train, because his challengers are the cream of the crop. Middle East powerlifters are not just talented, he said, they are highly experienced. To outdo such competition, he knows concentration is pivotal.
"I tend to allow my mind to drift, so I know I need to keep focused. Powerlifting is a mind game. So much depends on how mentally strong you are on the day of the competition. I have a wealth of experience, so I know I'll give them a run for their money."
Behind Narong's carefree nature is a man who has been emotionally scarred by the taunts of neighbours for being a cripple. For as long as he can recall, he's had people poke fun at the way he walked.
"I never got used to people calling me all sorts of derogatory names when I walked pass them," remarked Narong. "There was one comment made by a neighbour that was particularly hurtful. He said that I was a scourge on my parents because I could not be of any use to them in their old age. And that because of this I should have just ended my life."
Watching boys his age play football, fish and work on rubber plantations left him discouraged and bitter.
"I used to pity myself a lot during my early teens. I also spent a lot of my free time alone because everyone was out working," he said.
"It was four years after completing high school that I got the opportunity to study at the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities in Pattaya, which changed me from the introvert to the extrovert I am today. It was here that I was encouraged to play sports and studied with people who had physical disabilities.
"Today, I teach electronics to the students at my alma mater. I have more confidence in the person I am today. I also don't let disappointments weigh me down."
Topspin ace
Dararat Asayuth hopes to use her powerful forehand top spin that leaves opponents reeling on their back foot to clinch a podium finish at the Paralympic Games.
Dararat Asayuth is hoping to clinch a podium finish after a year dedicated to rigorous training. Photo: Chumporn Sangvilert
The 32-year-old table-tennis player, swift-moving in her wheelchair as she chases the ball, is excited about making her debut at the colossal sporting event after having an impressive run of form since becoming part of the national squad nine years ago. Her most memorable victory was a bronze medal at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para-Games.
When Life caught up with the spunky sportswoman, she had just completed practice.
"My neck is stiff and my body hurts, but I push myself to train because I know practice makes perfect," remarked Dararat. "I've had to work doubly hard for everything in life because I come from an impoverished background and also had polio since the age of two. However, this has made me a fighter. I don't give up easily, be it while I'm competing or facing a crisis." Just like her follow athletes, Dararat has pinned her hopes on getting a medal so she can use the prize money to pay debts and start a small business.
"Prize money is important to me because we have to wait two years before a regional sporting event is held. So no competitions means no prize money. As most of us depend on selling lottery to sustain ourselves and our families, we have to invest our prize money wisely.
"I am the sole breadwinner in my family, which includes my two children, parents and two younger siblings. However, whatever I bring home is never enough."
Besides the monetary rewards, the Paralympics allows Dararat to wear Thailand's national jersey with great pride. Sharing her feelings, she said: "It's a great honour to compete for one's country. My desire is to do so well that the Thai national anthem will be heard in the auditorium. Despite my physical disability, I'm able to bring the nation recognition."
Dararat, who was born into a poor rice-farmer's family in Chaiyaphum province, recalls living her entire childhood in poverty. Being crippled just made the situation worse. She often gets teary-eyed when images race through her mind of the days the roof of her family home caved in during monsoon season, flooding her bed, because it was held together with mere hay and rotting wooden planks. As her parents worked for a pittance, their daily wages were often insufficient to feed their three children.
Despite the odds set against her, Dararat never stopped striving for a better life. She started school at the ripe age of nine because her family weren't able to get a wheelchair. It was only when her father managed to assemble a contraption that somewhat resembled a wheelchair that she began first grade.
It was through sheer determination that Dararat completed ninth grade. The turning point in her life was when she enrolled at Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities.
This is where she found her passion for sports. After trying her hand at wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball, she finally settled for table tennis: "I enjoyed it because it's a mind game. It helps me focus on how to outpoint my competitor. It also suits my personality."
