National —
On August 30th, 2024, Thailand’s “Khwan” Khwansuda Phuangkitcha won a bronze medal in the women’s 47 kg taekwondo event at the 17th Paralympic Games in Paris, marking Thailand’s first medal at the games.
Competing in the K44 class for athletes with impairments in one arm, Khwansuda faced Iran’s Mariam Abdullapur in the bronze medal match. The bout ended in a 4-4 tie, but Khwansuda secured victory on points. Although emotional over not winning gold, Khwansuda vowed to aim for the top prize at the next Paralympics in the United States.
In another match, Thailand’s Thanwa Kaenkham fought hard in the men’s 58 kg K44 bronze medal match but lost 4-12 to Azerbaijan’s Zabi Seynalov. Despite the defeat, Thanwa expressed pride in competing in his first Paralympic Games and committed to continuous improvement.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s women’s doubles table tennis team, Dararat Asayut, and Chilchitparyak Bootwansirina secured a guaranteed bronze medal after defeating Italy’s Michaela Brunelli and Giada Rossi 3-1 in the quarterfinals. They will face a Chinese team in the semifinals (August 30th) at 12:00 PM Thailand time.
The day’s highlight will be the men’s 5,000-meter wheelchair race at 2:00 AM (August 31st), featuring Putharet Khongrak and Saichon Konjen.
