Thailand's beach volleyball players have their work cut out: regain the glorious heights they reached at 1998's Asian Games when the sport was first introduced at the Asiad.
Twelve years ago, Manatsanan Pangka and Rattanaporn Arlaisuk made Thailand proud in the Bangkok Asian Games when they thrashed Japan in the final to capture the gold medal. Since then, no Thai beach volleyball player has stepped onto a Games podium.
Nevertheless, Thai players have continued to shine at the regional level. Veteran Kamoltip Kulna, who played in the Bangkok Games, partnering Yupa Phokrongploy, won the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) gold in Laos. The pairing has been pretty impressive lately, winning two straight tournaments this month - the Indonesia Open Asia-Pacific Beach Volleyball Tour and the Asia-Pacific Indonesia Open Championship - powering past teammates Jarunee Sannok and Usa Tenpaksee in the finals.
But the Jarunee-Usa partnership is still a force to be reckoned with. They won the 2008 Asian Beach Games in Bali after stunning Kamoltip Yupa in an all-Thai clash. The two Thai duos are feared by rivals elsewhere but their aura will be less intimidating at the Asian Games in Guangzhou. Whenever China hosts any major sporting competition, the home team almost inevitably reigns supreme. The 16th Asian Games will be no exception.
- THE NATION (BANGKOK)
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