Chatchai-decha and Baison off to impressive start
Two Thai boxers in action on Saturday recorded impressive victories in their opening bouts at the Tokyo Olympics.
Baison Maneekon beat Saadat Dalgatova of the Russian Olympic Committee 4-1 to reach the last 16 round of the women’s welterweight (69kg) division at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
Baison will fight China’s Gu Hong, who received a first round bye, for a place in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
In the men’s featherweight (57kg) division, Chatchai-decha Butdee overpowered Peter McGrail of Great Britain with a 5-0 victory.
He will face Jehiel Mirco Cuello of Argentina, who defeated Hamsat Shadalov of Germany, in the last 16 round on Wednesday.
The other Two Thai fighters in Tokyo are Juthamas Chitrapong (women’s 51kg) and Sudaporn Seesondee (women’s 60kg).
In badminton, mixed doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Busanan Ongbamrungphan won their opening matches at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza yesterday.
Third seeds Dechapol and Sapsiree defeated Joshua Hurlburt-Yu and Josephine Wu of Canada 21-13, 21-6 in Group B.
They are in action again today against France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, who lost to Great Britain’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith in their first match yesterday.
Busanan began her Tokyo campaign with a comprehensive win over Daniela Macias of Peru in the women’s singles Group D competition.
The 25-year-old star was the first Thai shuttler in action in Tokyo and she did not disappoint, easing past Macias 21-4, 21-9 in just 31 minutes.
Busanan will play Kristine Kuuba of Estonia, the other player in Group D, on Tuesday.
However, Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai went down to second seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan of China 6-21, 10-21 in the opening match of the women’s doubles Group D.
Having been drawn in the so-called “Group of Death”, the ninth-seeded Thai duo will have another tough match against fifth seeds Kim So-Yeong and Kong Hee-Yong of South Korea today.
European champions Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva of Bulgaria are the other team in the group.
Ratchanok Intanon and Kantaphon Wangcharoen both begin their challenge on Sunday.
Fifth seed Ratchanok, in her third Olympics, takes on Laura Sarosi of Hungary in the women’s singles Group N, while debutant Kantaphon plays Kai Schaefer of Germany in Group K of the men’s singles event.
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