The 2024 Summer Olympic Games was opened in a grand scheme on July 26 in Paris, France, and the sporting events are now underway. On this occasion, Thailand has submitted fifty-one athletes (24 men and 27 women) to compete in sixteen sports. Their first group of badminton athletes have already claimed the first victory in the first matches.
Singles: Kunlavut “View” Vitidsarn
The world no. 8 began his quest for the gold medal in this Olympic Games with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Mauritian Georges Julian Paul who is globally ranked just under the top 100. The match was held at the Adidas Arena in Paris on July 27, 2024, and was among the first rounds of the group stage. View had a great start to the game and overcame Paul 21-8 in the first game, before cementing his victory with a comeback from 4-6 to 11-7 before winning 21-12. He claimed his and Thailand’s first victory at the 2024 Olympic Games.
For his next game, View will face world no. 61, Kalle Koljonen from Finland.
Mixed: Dechapol “Bas” Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree “Popo” Taerattanachai
The world no. 6 faced the Dutch duo of Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek, world no. 19, at the Adidas Arena in Paris on July 27, 2024. The quartet have played each other 11 times in the past; the Thai team clearly on top with eight wins, but the Dutch duo was gaining momentum by winning in the previous two meetings. In the first game, Popo played a crucial game from the back and won the tie 21-14. In the second game, the Thai duo remained invincible in all four sets, winning the tie 21-16.
They earned their first Olympic victory of 2024 and are scheduled to now face Algeria’s Koceila and Tanina Mammeri. The match will be held on July 29, 2024.
Thailand’s first gold medal?
Badminton is a long process before the gold medal is finally awarded, but as many as 14 gold medals might be handed out to a Thai athlete as early as this Saturday in the following categories:
- Time-trial cycling: Phetdarin “Phrae” Somrat will compete for Thailand’s first gold medal against cyclists from 34 other countries. The cyclist who can complete 32.4 kilometes with the least amount of time will win a gold medal.
- Boxing: Jutamas Jitpong will fight Sara Cirkovic from Serbia in the round of 32 of female 54-kilogram boxing. Weerapon Jongjoho, nephew of 2008 gold flyweight medallist Somjit, will then fight Dominican Christian Xavier Pinales, before Thananya Somnuek fights Conjeta Sadiku from Kosovo.
- Badminton: In the men’s doubles, Suphak Chomko and Kitnuphong Ketren will face the Popov brothers from hosts France. In the women’s doubles, Jongkonpan Kittharakun and Rawinda Prajongjai will face Lambert and Tran from hosts France.
Will Thailand surpass their all-time record of eight gold medals in one Olympic Games? Place your bets now at We88!
51 Thai athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games
Badminton: 9 athletes
Women’s Singles
Ratchanok Intanon
Supanida Ketthong
Men’s Singles
Kulwut Vitidsarn
Women’s Doubles
Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai
Men’s Doubles
Suphak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Keturen
Mixed Doubles
Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai
Amateur Boxing: 8 athletes
Men’s
Thitisan Panmode (51 kg)
Banjong Sinsiri (64 kg)
Weerapol Jongjohor (80 kg)
Women’s
Chanjaem Suwanpheng (66 kg)
Chuthamas Raksat (50 kg)
Thananya Samnuk (60 kg)
Chuthamas Jitpong (54 kg.)
Baison Manikorn (75 kg.)
Taekwondo: 3 athletes
Paniphak Wongpattanakit (2016 bronze and 2020 gold medallist)
Balung Thapthimdaeng
Sasikan Thongchan
Shooting: 3 athletes
Thanayaporn Phruksakorn
Thongphaphum Wongsukdee
Kamonlak Saencha
Modern Pentathlon: 1 athlete
Phurich Yoheung
Equestrian 1: athlete
Chanakon Karunyathat (Hard Jumping)
Golf: 4 athletes
Men’s Individual
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Pachara Kongwatmai
Women’s Individual
Atthaya Thitikul
Paphankorn Thavathanakit
Table Tennis: 3 athletes
Suthasinee Sawetbut
Jinnipa Sawetbut
Orrawan Paranang
Weightlifting: 4 athletes
Surajana Khambao
Duang Akson Jai Dee
Thiraphong Silachai
Weerapol Wichuma
Extreme Sports: 1 athlete
Wareeya Sukkasem (Skateboard Street Female)
Rowing: 1athlete
Premanat Wattananusit
Athletics: 2 athletes
Phuripol Boonson (100m Men)
Subenrat Insaeng (Discus Throw Women)
Cycling: 4 athletes
Kameth Sukprasit (BMX Racing Men)
Thanakan Chaiyasombat (Road Race Men)
Petchdarin Samrat (Road Race Women – Individual Time Trial Women)
Jay Angsuthasawit (Keerin-Men’s Sprint)
Swimming: 2 athletes
Jenjira Srisard (Women’s 50m Freestyle)
Dulyawat Kaewsriang (Men’s 100m Freestyle)
Judo: 1 athlete
Masayuki Terada (Flyweight 73kg)
Sailing: 4 athletes
Benyapha Chantawan (Women’s Formula Kiteboarding)
Jonathan Weston (Men’s Formula Kiteboarding)
Athit Mikhail Romanik (Sailing Dinghy ILCA7)
Sofia Montgomery (Sailing Dinghy ILCA6)
Thailand’s records at the Olympics
Thailand qualified for its first ever Olympic Games in 1952. Since then, Thai athletes compete in every Olympic Games, with an exception of its US-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games. It has won 10 gold medals, eight silver medals, and 17 bronze medals. The first Thai medallist was boxer Payao Poontarat when he won bronze at the 1976 men’s light flyweight tournament. The first Thai gold medallist was also a boxer, Somluck Kamsing, who took home the men’s featherweight gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand is the most successful nation in terms of gold medals won and, with 35 total, is only two medals behind Indonesia who is the most successful medallist in the region.
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