Bangkok--7 Aug--Sports Authority of Thailand
[KARATE-DO] Thailand’s exponents began their campaign in the karate-do discipline in the 1st Asian Martial Art Games at Indoor Stadium Hua Mark with a sole bronze medal.
In the men’s 55kg kumite category, the hosts’ competitor Hirannithishatphol Saratham, who ousted Milan Nepali from Nepal 9-1in the quarter-finals, fell to Nguyen Manh-tuan from Vietnam 3-2. The Thai was finally solaced by a bronze medal thanks to a 6-3 victory over Haji eddie jofriani Haji Johari of Brunei in the repechage round.
Shouldering the Thailand’s prospects, Yanisa Torratanawathana, who also ended her quest for the women’s 50kg kumite title in the semi-finals after losing 3-2 to Chen Yen hui from Taiwan, let the chance of taking the bronze slip through her fingers, going down to Li Hong of China 3-0 in the repechage bout.
In the men’s 60kg division, Thai contestant Yutthana Sripraphan was eliminated by Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoang-hiep 6-3 in the preliminary round.
Today, (August 7) another four gold medals are on offer in the karate-do competition, with another two Thai exponents Woraphol Kueapol and Kanokwan Norasetkul competing in the men’s 67kg and the women’s 55kg divisions respectively.
Press Center Branch Committee
under the Public Relations Committee for the 1st Asian
Martial Arts Games 2009
Main Press Center: MPC -
200— bed Building, the Sports Authority of Thailand, Hua Mark, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. 02-369-4030 — 33 Fax 02-369-1567 — 69