Tweet
THAILAND WATCH
Poontarat passes away
August 14, 2006
By Damrong Simakajornboon
Former WBC super flyweight champion Payao Poontarat, the first Thai athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games, passed away yesterday (August 13) at famous Siriraj Hospital in ****kok, Thailand. He had suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease for more than four years. His cremation will be held at Wat Trithosathep, near Khaosan Road in ****kok between August 14-21.
Payao Poontarat was born on October 15, 1956 at a remote village in ****sapan District, Pachuabkirikhan, Thailand. At the age of 13, he started to compete in the ring in the Muaythai style and had such success that he was fighting as the main bout in many Muaythai events at famous Rachadamnern Stadium between 1973-1975.
Poontarat started his amateur boxing in the year of 1975 and he was rapidly selected as a member of Thai National Squad in the same year. He won many medals in many main tournament such as King Cup 1977 in ****kok (gold medal), Golden Cup 1980 in Kenya (gold medal), World Cup 1979 in New York (silver medal). In 1976, he participated in Olympic Games in Montreal which he defeated three famous fighters in Light Flyweight Division, including Olympic Games 1972 Gold Medalist Gyorgy Gedo of Hungary in the Quarter Final Round, before he lost to North Korean Byong-Uk Li in the Semi-Final round. But it was enough for him to be the great Thai hero who was the first Thai athlete to win a medal in Olympic Games.
After the disappointment of the political boycott of Thailand at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, He later turned professional on October 4, 1981, impressively stopping former world title challenger Tito Abella of the Philippines in round two. Two years later with the only record as 8-1 (5KOs), he reached his goal as he won a split decision over Venezuelan Rafael Orono on November 27,1983 in Pattaya, Thailand, capturing the WBC super flyweight crown.
Poontarat kept his crown once, defeating former WBA fly king Guty Espadas, then he risked his crown with the great Japanese WBA titlist Jiro Watanabe on July 5 in Osaka, Japan. This bout was a close affair with the Thai fighter also dropping the local prospect in round five but Poontarat lost his belt to Watanabe by a split decision. The rematch was held on November 29 the same year but the Japanese proved the better man by dropping the Thai hero twice and finally scoring a TKO in round eleven.
Poontarat announced the finish of his boxing career on April 4, 1985 after he lost two-time world title challenger Kongtoranee Payakaroon in a ten round bout at Lumpinee Stadium in ****kok. His complete record was 9-4 (6 KOs).
After his professional boxing career, he had participated in Royal Thai Police Department for ten years with his final rank as Captain. Then, he jumped to the national political ring by joining the ********ic Party and he became elected as member of parliament for his home-province Pachuabkirikhan in 2001. Unfortunately, about one year later, he began to suffer from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He died of this disease at 15:19 (GMT+7) of August 13, 2006, at nearly 50 years of age. He leaves a wife, Ms. Adawan, and two children, Ms. Ramana who is now studying at the undergraduate level at Srinakarinvirot University and Mr. Panapat who is studying in Grade 11 at Kings College Vachiravuth Vitthayalai in ****kok.
God save his soul rest in peace.
Poontarat passes away
August 14, 2006
By Damrong Simakajornboon
Former WBC super flyweight champion Payao Poontarat, the first Thai athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games, passed away yesterday (August 13) at famous Siriraj Hospital in ****kok, Thailand. He had suffered from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease for more than four years. His cremation will be held at Wat Trithosathep, near Khaosan Road in ****kok between August 14-21.
Payao Poontarat was born on October 15, 1956 at a remote village in ****sapan District, Pachuabkirikhan, Thailand. At the age of 13, he started to compete in the ring in the Muaythai style and had such success that he was fighting as the main bout in many Muaythai events at famous Rachadamnern Stadium between 1973-1975.
Poontarat started his amateur boxing in the year of 1975 and he was rapidly selected as a member of Thai National Squad in the same year. He won many medals in many main tournament such as King Cup 1977 in ****kok (gold medal), Golden Cup 1980 in Kenya (gold medal), World Cup 1979 in New York (silver medal). In 1976, he participated in Olympic Games in Montreal which he defeated three famous fighters in Light Flyweight Division, including Olympic Games 1972 Gold Medalist Gyorgy Gedo of Hungary in the Quarter Final Round, before he lost to North Korean Byong-Uk Li in the Semi-Final round. But it was enough for him to be the great Thai hero who was the first Thai athlete to win a medal in Olympic Games.
After the disappointment of the political boycott of Thailand at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, He later turned professional on October 4, 1981, impressively stopping former world title challenger Tito Abella of the Philippines in round two. Two years later with the only record as 8-1 (5KOs), he reached his goal as he won a split decision over Venezuelan Rafael Orono on November 27,1983 in Pattaya, Thailand, capturing the WBC super flyweight crown.
Poontarat kept his crown once, defeating former WBA fly king Guty Espadas, then he risked his crown with the great Japanese WBA titlist Jiro Watanabe on July 5 in Osaka, Japan. This bout was a close affair with the Thai fighter also dropping the local prospect in round five but Poontarat lost his belt to Watanabe by a split decision. The rematch was held on November 29 the same year but the Japanese proved the better man by dropping the Thai hero twice and finally scoring a TKO in round eleven.
Poontarat announced the finish of his boxing career on April 4, 1985 after he lost two-time world title challenger Kongtoranee Payakaroon in a ten round bout at Lumpinee Stadium in ****kok. His complete record was 9-4 (6 KOs).
After his professional boxing career, he had participated in Royal Thai Police Department for ten years with his final rank as Captain. Then, he jumped to the national political ring by joining the ********ic Party and he became elected as member of parliament for his home-province Pachuabkirikhan in 2001. Unfortunately, about one year later, he began to suffer from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He died of this disease at 15:19 (GMT+7) of August 13, 2006, at nearly 50 years of age. He leaves a wife, Ms. Adawan, and two children, Ms. Ramana who is now studying at the undergraduate level at Srinakarinvirot University and Mr. Panapat who is studying in Grade 11 at Kings College Vachiravuth Vitthayalai in ****kok.
God save his soul rest in peace.