Bodin, Maneepong reunite

Bodin, Maneepong reunite

Badminton stars Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit will play together again to vie for an Olympic berth.

The duo reached the men's doubles quarter-finals at the 2012 Olympics and then ended their partnership.

Bodin, 24, and Maneepong, 23, played on the opposing sides at the 2013 Canada Open when they had an on-court brawl.

Their suspension has ended and can play again.

Thailand coach Sompol Kookasemkij said the pair had told him that they wanted to play together.

"We have a better chance of getting a place in the men's doubles at the 2016 Olmpics," he said.

"They want to work together for the country. They are capable of reaching the world's top 16 for a place at the Rio Games."

Jane Piyatat, owner of Granular Club where Bodin is a member, earlier claimed he had not been informed about a contract between the player and the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT).

But Sompol said all concerned parties had agreed to the reunion.

Maneepong said he and Bodin had buried their hatchet.

The pair will play at the German Open (Feb 24-Mar 1), All England (Mar 3-8) and Swiss Open (March 10-15).

BAT president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul said that the association did their best for the country and the players.

The BAT targets spots at the 2016 Olympics in all five events, she said.

The world rankings published on May 5, 2016 will be used to determine qualifiers for the Games.

Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and energy company Total, have signed a partnership contract from 2015 to 2018.

The deal covers both major events and Superseries including the world championships, Thomas & Uber Cup finals and Sudirman Cup.

BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer hailed the sponsorship as a "natural fit".

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