Injury scare for champ 'Nong View'
[TAEKWONDO] Olympic heroine Yaowapa Boorapolchai, who is better known as "Nong View", was injured recently in a training accident and had to have two stitches in her right foot.
She has been training for the WTF World Cup Team Taekwondo Championships, which will be held in Bangkok from September 14-18. Yaowapa, one of Thailand's big hopes in the event, suffered a cut between her toes, similar to the accident the Asian champion had before the 2004 Olympics when she needed four stitches. Her mother Somsri said: "I just heard the news. She said she is fine and still able to use her right foot." Yaowapa insisted that her injury is not serious. She believes it won't affect her at next month's competition. The Thai team will leave on Tuesday for Songnam, South Korea, and train there for four days to get ready for the WTF Championships. The Thai team are entered in four categories in the top-flight meet, with SEA Games gold medallist Rapatkorn Prasopsuk and Chonnapas Premwaew in the women's middleweight and welterweight divisions respectively. Patiwat Tongsalap, who made history by winning Thailand's first gold medal at the Universiade, will contest the men's lightweight division, and Yaowapa will be in the women's flyweight event. "This is the first time that the tournament provides a contest as a team, which will take place on September 18, the final day of the four-day meet. "Based on the results of the previous days, eight fighters in both the men's and women's divisions will compete in five events," said Pricha Thortrakul, special advisor to the Taekwondo Association of Thailand. "Although the Thai team always lacks big contestants in some categories, we still hope to finish as one of the top five teams on the final day," he added.
Waree Theptoranintra The Nation
|
