Somjit and Prapawadee win amateur athletes awards

The National Sports Day is held annually to commemorate HM the King's achievements in sports. In 1967, His Majesty together with HRH Princess Ubon Ratana won the gold medal in sailing in the 4th Southeast Asian Peninsula (now SEA) Games.

Somjit and Prapawadee made the country proud after claiming gold in the Beijing Olympic Games in August, with Somjit sending Cuban challenger Andry Laffita Hernandez packing in the final.

Runners-up in the best male amateur athlete award were light-middleweight boxer Manus Boonjum-nong, silver medallist at the Beijing Games, and cueist Thepchaiya Oonnoo, while skeet and trap shooter Suthiya Jewchalermmit and ballroom dancer ML Warakorn Chumpol finished runners-up in the female award.

Veteran golfer Prayad Maksaeng won the best professional athlete award, while the best men's and women's junior athlete awards went to taekwondo exponents Sorawis Laoha-nimit and Buttree Puedpong.