FRANCE: The long wait for Thai sports fans is finally over as talented shuttler Kunlavut Vitidsarn and boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng have assured the kingdom of its first medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When Janjaem punched her ticket to the women’s 66kg semi-finals, which guarantee at least a bronze medal, with an upset victory over top-ranked Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey on Saturday night, a sense of joy gripped the nation.
Kunlavut followed it up with a sterling show Sunday afternoon to give Thailand its first-ever Olympic badminton medal as he overwhelmed Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia 21-14, 21-15 in the men's single semi-finals at Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris.
The victory has earned Kunlavut, the reigning world champion, a shot at the gold medal. He will face defending champion Viktor Axelsen in the title showdown on Monday after the Dane defeated Lakshya Sen of India 22-20, 21-14 in the second semi-final.
Janjaem, a 23-year-old from Nong Khai, did well to defeat Surmeneli, who won the gold medal in the 69kg category at Tokyo 2020, 4-1 at North Paris Arena.
Janjaem has become only the second Thai female boxer to win an Olympic medal after Sudaporn Seesondee, who claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 60kg class in Tokyo three years ago.
Awaiting the Thai fighter in the last four is Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer embroiled in a gender controversy.
Khelif, 25, defeated Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori with a unanimous points decision to reach the semi-finals and to ensure at least a bronze medal — Algeria's first in the sport since 2000.
Janjaem lost to Khelif at the world championships in New Delhi last year but later progressed to the final after the Algerian was disqualified. She lost to China's Liu Yang in the final.
"I know the Algerian boxer is very strong and I will try to watch her video to learn her tactics and correct mine accordingly," Janjaem said of Khelif.
'I'm so happy'
Reflecting on her stunning victory over Surmeneli, a beaming Janjaem said, "I'm so happy that I won today.
"I felt a bit of pressure because I knew that I was the only Thai boxer left in the tournament and I was up against a top-ranked boxer in the division.
"But I think Thai people will now know more about me. I think my parents back home must be so happy."
"I hope Thai people will continue to support me in my next fight," added Janjaem, who was a silver medallist at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
Fellow Thai boxer Chuthamat Raksat lost to China's Wu Yu 5-0 in the 50kg quarter-finals. Wu also beat Chuthamat in the final at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
Meanwhile, badminton has now become the fourth sport to produce an Olympic Games medal for Thailand after boxing, weightlifting and taekwondo.
Kunlavut has been in stellar form in Paris.
He stunned world No.1 Shi Yuqi of China in the quarter-finals on Friday and the 23-year-old continued his fantastic run to the final with an impressive victory over Lee in 51 minutes.
Despite competing in every Olympic Games since 1992, the closest Thai badminton players got to a podium finish was at Athens 2004, when Boonsak Ponsana reached the men’s singles semi-final before losing to the eventual champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.
Boonsak was also beaten in the bronze medal match by Sony Dawi Kuncoro of Indonesia to finish in fourth place.
