Thai para-taekwondo athlete Khwansuda Phuangkitcha secured Thailand’s first bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Thursday (Aug 29). Competing in the women’s 47-kilogram K44 category, which includes athletes with limitations in one arm or leg, Khwansuda triumphed over Iran’s Maryam Abdollahpour Deroei in a closely contested match.
The initial round ended in a 4-4 tie, leading to a golden round where no additional points were scored. Khwansuda, ranked third in the world, claimed the bronze medal through superior points and skillful techniques, giving her country its first medal in the 17th Summer Paralympic Games.
In the quarterfinals, Khwansuda defeated Turkey’s Ekici Nurcihan 8-4 but lost 3-5 to Uzbekistan’s Ziyodakhon Isakova, leading her to the bronze medal match. The 23-year-old athlete from Prachuap Khiri Khan expressed her determination to return in four years to compete for the gold. (NNT)
