BANGKOK – Thailand’s first Olympic gold medallist has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, police said on Dec 11, an allegation he denies.
The 17-year-old filed a complaint late on Dec 10 against Somluck Kamsing, who became a national hero when he won featherweight boxing gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
“He was accused of molesting the girl,” police colonel Yosawat Kaewsuebthanyanij told AFP.
Somluck, who also won boxing titles at the 1994 and 1998 Asian Games in Hiroshima and Bangkok respectively, told the Bangkok Post: “After the case is over, I will go and live in France. I am tired of this kind of social affair. I insist I did not rape or hurt her.
“I have not yet received a police summons, but I am ready for it and will fully cooperate with the police.”
Police confirmed local media reports that Somluck, 50, met the teenager on Dec 9 evening at a bar in Khon Kaen, a city in the kingdom’s north-east, where they stayed until 3am local time before going to a hotel where the girl said the former Olympic champion assaulted her.
Yosawat said officers would question the teenager along with a child protection team before gathering evidence and issuing a summons to Somluck to answer the allegation.
Somluck told local media he denies the allegation. He claimed that the teen befriended him at the pub in the Muang district and asked for a selfie. After some intimacy there, they adjourned to a hotel at around 3.30am.
Somluck claimed he then asked how old she was. When she replied that she was 17, he alleged that he stopped his advances and fell asleep. The age of sexual consent in Thailand is 18.
Somluck beat Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria at the Olympics. Todorov had beaten future boxing great Floyd Mayweather in the semi-finals. Mayweather retired with a professional boxing record of 50-0.
Somluck’s feat inspired compatriot and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Sudaporn Seesondee.
She told the Bangkok Post in 2021: “What really struck a chord in me was the fact that Somluck and I have a lot in common. We both come from impoverished backgrounds and started our careers in muay Thai and later developed our prowess in amateur boxing.
“It was the Olympic gold medal that changed his life, bringing him fame and fortune. Having him as a role model has helped me overcome numerous obstacles, one of which was becoming the sole breadwinner of the family in my early teens…
“Just as Somluck, competing at the Olympics has opened the opportunity for me to improve my life from a nobody to a somebody.”
In 2018, former deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan helped Somluck stave off bankruptcy.
Somluck said then: “I am happy today and will not do any risky business again. I would like to have a peaceful life and make a living being an actor.” AFP
