Thailand’s badminton fans breathed a sigh of relief after national star Pornpawee “Mew” Chochuwong reversed her decision to withdraw and confirmed she will represent the Kingdom at the upcoming 33rd SEA Games, to be held in Thailand from December 9–20.
Her U-turn came just a day after she publicly announced her intention to pull out of the national team last week. The change followed a clear-the-air discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao, who oversees domestic sports, at Government House last Tuesday.
Also present at the meeting was Dr Gongsak Yodmani, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).
After the discussion, Pornpawee, 27, currently ranked world No. 6, said she had resolved her concerns and was ready to shift her full focus back to training.
“I just wanted to clear all lingering issues in my mind, and everything went positively,” she said.
From now on, she said she will focus on training to handle the pressure on court and bring glory to the country at the SEA Games next month.
Pornpawee said her earlier decision to withdraw stemmed from concerns about management issues within the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) and her desire to see improvements for younger athletes.
“I’d like to see changes in the Badminton Association so that the new generation of athletes can replace us veterans more quickly,” she said.
“The current management system isn’t conducive to that growth. Some executives are not performing their duties fairly or are overstepping their authority.”
Thammanat confirmed that the government has instructed the Tourism and Sports Minister, Attakorn Sirilatthayakorn, to direct the SAT to set up a special committee to investigate and ensure transparency across all national sports associations, not just badminton.
The move follows similar action taken to resolve issues within the pétanque federation last month. “We’ve also formed a special panel to receive complaints from all sports disciplines,” Thamanat said.
“Our aim is to bring transparency to every sports federation and build a system that supports professional athlete development.”
Approaching the twilight of her playing career, Pornpawee said she hopes to make her final SEA Games appearance a memorable one.
“I want to win the women’s team gold medal in what will likely be my last Games,” she said. “I’ll give it everything I have. I’m truly grateful for everyone’s support—it motivates me to keep fighting.”
Pornpawee’s initial withdrawal last week was prompted by dissatisfaction with how national training camps were run, including inadequate support and equipment.
The SAT later said it would address the issues urgently, recognising Pornpawee as a key player for Thailand.
