Skeet and trap shooting star Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit is boycotting the SEA Games, to be held in Thailand in Deember, accusing event organisers of a lack of transparency and mismanagement.
Her withdrawal is not the first controversy to hit this year’s biennial multisport event. Two badminton layers have also questioned the fairness of the player selection process.
Sutiya announced her decision on Monday, saying she would not participate in the selection process for the national team for the games, because she had suspicions about transparency in the way the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association handlies its budget and financial support from sponsors.
‘That is why I have distanced myself from the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association. And I have decided that I will not contest the SEA Games and will cheer on younger players,’ Sutiya told reporters. ‘I hope the younger players perform well.’
The SEA Games will run from Dec 9-20 with events spread between venues in Greater Bangkok, Chon Buri and Songkhla.
The Skeet and Trap Shooting Association targets three gold medals.
Sutiya would have been a front runner if she competed
She asked Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompow to look into all the problems at the Skeet and Trap Shooting Association and other sports organisations in the country.
As deputy PM, Mr Thammanat oversees the Sports and Tourism Ministry. The cabinet minister responsible for sports is Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn. Both are members of the Klatham Party, part of the new coalition government.
Sutiya has competed in four consecutive Olympics – in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020. She won a gold medal in 2016.
The skeet shooter is not the only player disgruntled with the performance of sports organisation leaders ahead of the SEA Games.
Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan on Sept 19 accused the Badminton Association of Thailand of being unfair after they were ruled out of the national squad.
Ratchapol and Nattamon won the mixed doubles at the Thailand National Championship in December. The win would have given them an automatic berth in the national team under the old rules, which gave priority to winners of the annual competition. The second priority was to be ranked in the world top 20.
The badminton association amended the regulations in April, putting global ranking above winning a national championship. Players in the top 32 of the world are now automatically selected, followed by winners of the national championship.
The change dropped Ratchapol and Nattamon from selection as the pair are not ranked in the top 32, ending their hopes of representing Thailand at the December SEA Games.