5 Olympic sports where Thailand excels and where to try them yourself
Go for gold at these venues across Bangkok.
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7 years ago
Boxing
Thanks to our traditional ties to this sport, boxing is what Thailand has performed best in ever since we first participated in the Olympic Games, reeling in a total of four gold, four silver and six bronze medals over the years. The first athlete to ever win a gold medal for Thailand at the Olympics was Somluck Kamsing, who took home the Men’s Featherweight boxing title in the summer games held in Atlanta back in 1996.
Try it at: RSM Muay Thai Academy (Seenspace, Thonglor Soi 13/Jasmine City, Sukhumvit Soi 23, rsm-academy.com) Krudam Muay Thai School (3How Hostel, Asok Montri Rd/ 67 Sukhumvit Soi 36, www.krudamgym.com) and The Boxing Time (Sukhumvit 77 BTS On Nut, www.theboxingtime.com)
Health tip: Boxing is a total body workout that promises cardio and strength training at the same time, while also improving balance, coordination, reflexes and agility. Plus, it’s a great way to knock out the stress at the end of a long day.
Badminton
As a country, we’ve always had a close relationship with badminton thanks to the long-term support from His Majesty the King, who is very fond of the sport. Throughout the years, he has given trophy donations, created high-quality badminton courts, supported players with scholarships and placed the Badminton Association of Thailand under his Royal Patronage. This year, Thailand will be sending a total of seven athletes to the Summer Games with the hope of bringing home the first ever gold medal.
Try it at: The Racquet Club (Amara 3, Sukhumvit Soi 49, www.rqclub.com), Yenakat Badminton court (119/5 Soi 2 Yenakat Rd., 02 249 6935-6)
Health tip: Due to the fast pace of badminton games, the sport is great for training your reflexes and keeping up mobility by lubricating the joints. Staying mobile and flexible as you age prevents the chance of developing arthritis and many other joint-related conditions.
Weightlifting
Our female athletes dominate the scene when it comes to the sport of weightlifting, with all previous medalists being women. Back in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Udomporn Polsak became the first Thai woman to win an Olympic gold medal when she claimed the title of Women’s 53kg in weightlifting. This year we’ve qualified a total of nine competitors for the games in Rio de Janeiro, making it the sport for which we will be sending the highest number of athletes.
Try it at: Training Ground (36/2 Sukhumvit Soi 69, www.traininggroundbkk.com), Lumphini Park (Wittayu Rd., MRT Lumphini/Silom), The Lab (2/F RSU Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 31. www.thelabbangkok.com)
Health tip: Weight-bearing exercise, whether it’s weightlifting, tennis or even stair climbing, can help to increase bone strength, fight osteoporosis, and improve overall strength and balance. As your muscles become bigger and stronger by adapting to the stress put on them, so do your bones.
Taekwondo
Credit: www.facebook.com/asiapacifictaekwondo
Here’s another sport where our female athletes dominate. Since debuting in the Taekwondo games as recently as the 2004 Olympics, Thailand has already won three medals, all of them from our female players Chanatip Sonkham, Yaowapa Boorapolchai and Buttree Puedpong. This year, we’ll be sending three athletes over to take on 128 other fighters from around the globe.
Try it at: Asia Pacific Taekwondo Academy (Gateway Ekkamai, www.asiapacifictaekwondo.com)
Health tip: Taekwondo is a great sport for training coordination and flexibility, as well as your core and spinal strength thanks to many of its kicking moves that require constant hip and shoulder motion. The sport also places a focus on self-discipline, balance and concentration, thereby providing many mental benefits alongside its physical ones.
Golf
This year’s Summer Olympics Games is the first to feature individual men’s and women’s golf since the 1904 Olympics in Missouri, USA, much to the delight of golf fans around the world. One of Thailand’s representatives is Thongchai Jaidee, a professional golfer from Lopburi who began his love for golf by attaching a five-iron to a bamboo stick, and has now risen into the world’s Top 40 rankings after winning the French Open in July.
Try it at: Bangkok Golf Center (5/F, RSU Building, Sukhumvit Soi 31, www.bkkgolfcentre.com), Xcite Golf Academy Bangkok (Marriot Executive Apartments, Sukhumvit Soi 24, www.xcitegolf.com)
Health tip: Golf is a leisurely sport that provides a much lower overall risk of injury compared to other, particularly contact, sports. Instead, golf provides slow-pace and low-impact exercise including walking, swinging and pivoting, while still providing enough physical activity to keep the muscles engaged and get the sweat on.
Bumrungrad Hospital is one of the largest private medical facilities in Southeast Asia, with over 55 specialty centers, an internationally-certified lab and pharmacy, clinical research centers, advanced imaging facilities, and a 24-hour emergency care unit. Certified by the Joint Commission International since 2002, Bumrungrad cares for more than 1.1 million patients a year at its state-of-the-art facilities right in the heart of Bangkok. Learn more at www.bumrungrad.com.
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