With prize money exceeding 20 million baht coupled with the brand new title of Sports and Tourism Ambassador bestowed on her for clinching the coveted gold medal in taekwondo at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which wrapped earlier this month, Panipak “Tennis” Wongpattanakit attributes her Olympic success to the unwavering dedication of her father Sirichai, who raised her after the death of her mother when she was seven.
The 24-year-old, who has two older siblings, captured a podium finish in the 49kg division, giving Thailand its only gold at the Games which were postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Five years after settling for bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics, the taekwondo expert put much-needed smiles on the faces of Thais with her impressive win.
In a…
