27 July 2021: 2018 World Championships silver medalist Sudaporn Seesondee emulated her three compatriots at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Tuesday, clearing her first hurdle in style in the women’s boxing 60kg at the Kokugikan Arena.
The 29-year-old from Udon Thani outclassed her opponent Maria Jose Palacios Espinoza of Ecuador 5-0 to become the fourth Thai boxer in round two of the Tokyo Games. Sudaporn followed in the footsteps of Baison Manikon, Chatchai-Decha Butdee and Jutamas Jitpong, who all won their opening bouts earlier.
The 2018 Asian Games silver medalist Sudaporn was the more impressive fighter throughout the three-round bout, utilizing her powerful straight left and rapid footwork to keep her South American rival off balance and out of the comfort zone.
“The first match is never easy. I experienced a bit of pressure coming into the ring and felt nervous in the first round. But in the second and third rounds, I became more relaxed and was able to perform the way I wanted to,” she said.
Sudaporn’s next opponent is Simranjit Kaur of India, the bronze medalist at the 2018 World Championships. The 26-year-old from Punjab, also a silver medalist in the 2019 Asian Championships, received a bye in the first round.
“I have never boxed her before, but I’ve watched her fight. She has long punches. I will need to study her style before our match,” said the Thai, who has three days to prepare before she faces the Indian boxer on Friday.
However, the Thai boxing team suffered their first blow in the Japanese capital late on Tuesday, when 2019 Asian Youth champion Baison was eliminated in the second round of the women’s 69kg category by No 2 seed Gu Hong of China, the 2014 and 2018 World Championships silver medalist.
The 19-year-old Thai was no match for her more experienced opponent, who dominated the bout with accurate punches from start to finish to win 5-0.
In table tennis, Thai No 1 Suthasinee Sawettabut, who yesterday became the first Thai to reach the round of 16 in the Olympics, was stopped by third-seeded Mima Ito of Japan, a silver medalist from the 2016 and 2019 World Championships team event, 0-4 (7-11 6-11 9-11 7-11).
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