Table tennis aces bag 2 silvers
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Table tennis aces bag 2 silvers

Shuttler Sujirat to battle for gold today

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Thailand's Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri, right, and Rungroj Thainiyom in action during the men's doubles MD14 gold medal match against China's Liao Keli and Yan Shuo. (Reuters photo)
Thailand's Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri, right, and Rungroj Thainiyom in action during the men's doubles MD14 gold medal match against China's Liao Keli and Yan Shuo. (Reuters photo)

Table tennis players claimed two silver medals for Thailand at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Sunday.

Men's doubles duo Rungroj Thainiyom and Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri fought well but went down to China's Liao Keli and Yan Shuo 1-3 (11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 7-11) in an entertaining men's doubles MD14 gold medal encounter at South Paris Arena.

The Chinese avenged their loss against the Thai pair at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games last year.

Earlier, Yuttajak Glinbancheun and Wijittra Jaion were also beaten by a pair of Chinese players, going down to Feng Panfeng and Zhou Ying 1-3 (13-11, 7-11, 9-11, 8-11) in the mixed doubles XD7 decider.

It was the fourth medal for the Thai table tennis team in Paris.

Yuttajak teamed up with Wanchai Chaiwut to win a bronze medal in the men's doubles MD8 event on Friday while Dararat Asayut and Chilchitparyak Bootwansirina claimed bronze in the women's doubles WD5 event on Thursday.

Para badminton player Sujirat Pookkham will contest for the gold medal on Monday after she advanced to the women's singles WH1 final.

The Thai defeated To Man-Kei of Belgium 21-13, 21-15 in the semi-finals on Sunday.

She will play Japan's Sarina Satomi in the gold medal match on Monday after the Japanese defeated China's Yin Menglu 21-17, 22-20.

Meanwhile Natthapong Meechai bowed out in the men's singles SH6 quarter-finals after losing to Krysten Coombs of Britain 15-21, 21-18, 11-21.

In boccia, Worawut Saengampa beat Watcharaphon Vongsa 9-1 in an all Thai clash in the men's individual BC2 semi-final.

Worawut was due to contest in the final against Indonesia's Muhammad Bintang Herlangga later last night.

Watcharaphon was to meet Slovakia's Robert Mezik in a bronze medal clash.

In other boccia events, Witsanu Huadpradit lost to John Loung of Hong Kong 3-5 in the men's individual BC1 quarter-finals while Akkadej Choochuenklin was beaten by Grigorios Polychronidis of Greece 1-4 in the men's individual BC3 quarter-finals.

Taekwondo athlete Khwansuda Phuangkitcha won the nation's first medal of the Games when she grabbed bronze in the women's K44 47kg category on Thursday.

Joy for pregnant athlete

British archer Jodie Grinham became the first pregnant Paralympics athlete to win a medal when she took bronze in women's individual compound, official Paralympics social media accounts said on Saturday.

Seven months pregnant, 31-year-old Grinham held her nerves to beat Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist and friend Phoebe Paterson Pine by a razor-thin 142-141 scoreline in Friday's bronze medal match-up.

"Baby hasn't stopped kicking," Grinham said. "It's almost like baby's going, what's going on? It's really loud, mommy what are you doing? But it's been a lovely reminder of the support bubble I have in my belly.

"I'm really proud of myself, I've had difficulties and it's not been easy. But as long as I'm healthy and baby's healthy, I knew I could compete. I knew if I shot as well as I could, baby or not, I could come back as a medal." bangkok post/reuters

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