Thailand’s young guns came out kicking at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday as poomsae artists Navin Pinthasute and Thitaree Kaewolanwasu each landed a medal on the opening day of taekwondo, while a canoeist and a teenage jiu-jitsu fighter also swelled the Thai tally.
Navin, 19, scored 9.2800 to take men’s individual silver, just behind South Korea’s Yun Kyu-Sung (9.3800). The Philippines’ Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape was third on 9.0900.
Earlier, 21-year-old Thitaree posted 9.0400 to finish third in the women’s individual event. South Korea’s Jung Hae-Un won gold with 9.3100, while the Philippines’ Juliana Mykhail Candelaria took bronze with 9.1300.
At the Yahagigawa Canoe Slalom Course, Piyanuth Koetsuk, 24, claimed bronze in the men’s canoe single final.
His 121.68 seconds left him behind China’s Zhang Zhicheng (98.09) and Taiwan’s Wu Jung-cheng (119.09). The Southeast Asian Games gold medallist from last December gave the canoe slalom team a second medal in Nagoya, a day after Atcharaporn Duanglawa’s silver in the women’s canoe single.
Sixteen-year-old Miyu Suzuki, who is Thai-Japanese, then secured Thailand’s first jiu-jitsu medal of the Games.
She beat Vietnam’s Phung Thi Hue 6-4 in the women’s 48kg bronze contest. She had lost to Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulumbetova in the quarter-finals before winning the repechage against Singapore’s Hong Soo Jin.
Beach VB duo chase title
Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee are one win from Asian Games glory.
They beat the Philippines’ Harl Khylem Progella and Shanine Sofiah Pagara 2-0 (23-21, 21-18) in the semi-finals and meet China’s Xia Xinyi and Yan Xu in today’s gold medal match.
The victory guarantees Thailand’s first beach volleyball medal in 12 years, since Tanarattha Udomchavee and Varapatsorn Radarong took silver at the 2014 Incheon Games.
Their male counterparts, Poravid Taovato and Pithak Tipjan, fell 2-0 (23-21, 21-12) to Qatar’s Cherif Samba and Ahmed Janko in the last four. They will face Japan’s Kata Kurosawa and Taito Mizumachi for bronze tomorrow.
In golf, Patcharajutar Kongkraphan was the best-placed Thai in the women’s individual event, finishing the second round on one-under 139. That left her 12 strokes behind Singapore’s leader Shannon Tan Xuan Tin. Thailand are tied for seventh in the team event on 276, eight shots adrift of China.
In the men’s event, Pongsapak Laopakdee (67) and Sadom Kaewkanjana (69) are among six players tied for 16th on 139. They trail Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsuan (66) by eight strokes.
Takraw women revive hopes
The women’s quadrant sepak takraw team bounced back from their opening loss to old rivals Vietnam with a 2-0 (15-7, 15-6) win over the Philippines at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium. They now need to beat India today to secure second place in Group A and a semi-final berth.
The women’s rugby sevens side impressed by beating Kazakhstan and Singapore to reach the semi-finals, with a group match against Japan still to play. The men were less fortunate, losing to South Korea and Kazakhstan. They must beat Japan to stay in contention, or drop into the placement rounds, where ninth is the best they can finish.
Elsewhere, the men’s volleyball team lost 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-19) to China in the quarter-finals. Kasidit Samrej’s tennis run also ended at that stage, with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat to top seed Wong Coleman of Hong Kong.
Heartbreak in the velodrome
Jai Angsuthasawit was left to rue a controversial tumble in the men’s sprint bronze-medal ride at the velodrome in Izu, Shizuoka. He finished fourth after officials rejected a Thai protest for a restart.
The rider, known as “TJ”, beat China’s Han Si 2-1 in the quarter-finals before losing 2-0 to Japanese favourite Kaiya Ota, the top qualifier and world No.4. That set up a bronze-medal duel with Malaysia’s Awang Mohd Azizulhasni, the 2017 world keirin champion.
In the first heat of the best-of-three contest, Jai lost his balance and fell during the cat-and-mouse jockeying on a bend, and was ruled to have lost the heat. Team manager Pol Lt Adisak Wannasri argued that the fall came during the tactical stand-off, not the sprint proper, and demanded a restart. The two Hong Kong officials, the chief commissaire and the starter, stood by their decision.
Awang then edged the second heat to take bronze. Ota won gold as expected, with China’s Li Zhiwei taking silver.
Thailand have two more finals today: Jutatip Maneephan in the women’s omnium, and Jai and Norasetthada Bunma in the men’s keirin.