Star athletes to watch in Thailand

From Olympic medallists to world champions, here's one athlete or a pair from each nation to look out for at the Dec 9-20 Games in Thailand.

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From Olympic medallists to world champions, here's one athlete or a pair from each nation to look out for at the Dec 9-20 Games in Thailand.

THAILAND: JANJAEM SUWANNAPHENG (BOXING)

The Royal Thai Air Force pilot announced her arrival at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia by winning the women's light middleweight gold medal. Her women's welterweight bronze at Paris 2024 extended Thailand's proud record of winning a boxing medal at every Olympics since Montreal 1976, with the only exceptions coming in Moscow 1980 and Rio 2016. The 25-year-old will be the hosts' flag bearer alongside badminton star Kunlavut Vitidsarn, 24.

VIETNAM: NGUYEN HUY HOANG (SWIMMING)

Vietnam's top male swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang is aiming to add to the 11 SEA Games gold medals he has collected since his 2017 debut and will be backing himself to retain the three freestyle golds he clinched in the men's 400m, 1,500m and 4x200m in 2023. His coach Nguyen Hoang Vu believes the 25-year-old could become the first male swimmer from Vietnam to win gold medals in five consecutive SEA Games.

INDONESIA: SAYU BELLA (CYCLING)