Asian Games: Thai boxers allowed to fight in Guangzhou

The Thai boxing team will be allowed to take part in next month's Asian Games but any medals they win in Guangzhou may not be counted.

Thailand will send 11 boxers to next month’s Asian Games.

Thana Chaiprasit, Thailand's chief of delegation for the Asian Games, said yesterday all Thai athletes, including 11 boxers, had been registered to participate in the Nov 12-27 event by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
"This means the OCA has accepted Thai boxers to take part in the Games," Thana said.
But Thana said the boxing team will have to wait until Nov 11 when the International Amateur Boxing Association (Aiba) makes a decision if medals won by Thai fighters will be registered.
Gen Taweep Jantararoj, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (Abat), has been at odds with Aiba bosses who have suspended him for "continuously violating Aiba rules."
Aiba said the suspension meant Thai boxers could not take part in the Asian Games in the Chinese southern city of Guangzhou.
Taweep is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the suspension.
The court has postponed making a ruling. It was initially expected last week.
Meanwhile, the Thai golf team have suffered another setback as they are not allowed to replace Atiwit Janewattananond with Supakorn Uthaipat in the men's squad.
According to Thana, the Asian Games organising committee said that the Thai Golf Association (TGA) did not have any reasonable evidence to support the change.
Atiwit was originally picked for the team but was axed by the TGA who claimed he had made several mistakes including recording an incorrect score at the Lion City Cup in Malaysia last month.
Atiwit then announced that he would not play for the national team anymore and the TGA named Supakorn as his replacement.
TGA president Rungsrid Luxsitanonda said he now had no choice but to send only three male players to the Asian Games.
"The remaining players may be under extra pressure," he said.
"It will be difficult for them to win the team's event because few players play well for four days."
In the team's event, four players play for a team and the worst score does not count towards the total.
The three men are Poom Saksansin, Wasin Sripattranusorn and Atthachai Jaichalad.
In other development, shooter Pavaranat Ponglaokham has been excluded from his team and tennis players Suchanan Wiratprasert was replaced by Nicha Lertpitaksinchai.
In all, Thailand will have 595 athletes and 207 officials in the quadrennial tournament.