LONDON : Boxer Kaew Pongprayoon had to settle for an Olympic silver medal after his controversial loss to China's defending champion Zou Shiming, but his sporting spirit won over the hearts of Thai supporters back home.
Mali and Kham Pongprayoon, parents of boxer Kaew, watch the live broadcast of their son’s gold medal bid at their house in Kamphaeng Phet. PATIPAT JANTHONG
Kaew lost 13-10 in the light-flyweight (49kg) final on Saturday night (early yesterday morning, Thai time) at London's ExCeL Arena.
The Kamphaeng Phet native, and millions of his compatriots who watched the bout on television, believed he had boxed well enough to take the gold.
"I was robbed," said the tearful Kaew. "The gold should have been mine."
The Thai team's protest against the decision was rejected because they failed to lodge it within five minutes of the decision being declared, as stipulated.
"I am very sorry that I could not win a gold medal," Kaew said.
"I wanted to win it for the King and the Queen and for all the Thai people and I am very disappointed that I failed to do it."
He said he is still proud of the silver medal because he only targeted a bronze before going to London.
Kaew's silver was Thailand's third medal in London after weightlifter Pimsiri Sirikaew won a silver and taekwondo competitor Chanatip Sonkham claimed a bronze. The Games ended last night.
Kaew, 32, who made his Olympic debut in London, will not have another chance because he will be too old for the next Games. The age limit for Olympic boxers is 34.
Chinese winner Zou, meanwhile, stood by the judges' decision.
"The judge gave me the result, so I won," he said.
Zou is the first boxer to have successfully defended the light-flyweight Olympic title and is the first Chinese to win two boxing gold medals.
He is also the first man to win three medals in the light-flyweight division, having taken bronze at Athens 2004, and at 31 is the oldest ever Olympic champion at that weight.
Paul Kershaw, a coach at the St Paul Boxing Academy in England, watched the bout from ringside and said Kaew should have won by three points.
"He was getting better and better in every round while the Chinese faded," he said.
"To me, he is 100% the champion and more than 10,000 fans in the stadium witnessed it."
Boonlert Kaewprasit reaffirmed his vow to quit as president of the Thailand Boxing Association if the Thai team failed to win any gold medals.
Thong Taweekhun will also step down as coach of Thailand's national amateur boxing squad.
This is the first time since 1996 that Thailand has failed to win an Olympic gold in any sport.
Thailand had three boxers in London with Sailom Ardee and Chatchai Butdee both suffering early exits.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday congratulated Kaew for clinching the Olympic silver.
"He has shown the spirit of a real fighter. He won the hearts of the Thai people and the worldwide audience," government spokesman Sansanee Nakpong quoted Ms Yingluck as saying.
Kaew would have got about 50 million baht in rewards from the government and private companies if he had won the gold.
However, the silver is still worth more than 20 million baht in bonuses.
Despite the defeat, Kaew's parents remained in high spirits and thanked all Thais for supporting their son.
"Don't be sad; you've done your best," Mali Pongprayoon told Kaew on the telephone after the match.
"I'm glad he has come this far," said Kham, Kaew's father.
"Our family thanks everyone for giving Kaew moral support."
Kaew's wife, Taratip, said: "I believe Kaew is the winner in the eyes of millions of people watching the fight."
Ms Yingluck will host a thankyou party for Thai athletes taking part in the Olympics and the Asian Beach Games, which was held in China in June, at Siam Paragon tomorrow.