Light flyweight veteran Chuthamat Raksat kept her promise by bringing the SEA Games gold medal she won at the recently ended tournament to her father before her critically ill parent passed.
The 32-year-old boxer, who hails from Buriram province, overcame the odds to win the women’s 50kg class of the 2025 Games on home soil in impressive fashion, emerging victorious from her difficult-looking gold medal bout against 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Aira Villegas by unanimous decision.
She was one of the home fighters who helped the Kingdom secure 14 boxing titles at the Thai-hosted Games, which ended at the weekend—Thailand’s second-best overall haul at a single Games after winning 16 in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2007.
Chuthamat, nicknamed “Whan”, promised to achieve success at the region’s biennial multisport tournament for her father, who was found to be in critical condition with cancer just before the Games began.
In a recent post on her Facebook page, Chuthamat, who clinched a silver medal at the Covid-delayed Hangzhou Asian Games two years ago, revealed that she had delivered on her promise before her father passed away.
“Since being diagnosed with the disease, my dad told me to perform my duties to the fullest, not to worry about him, and that we would see each other again after the mission ended.
“He also said, ‘If Whan fights, he fights; if Whan endures difficulties, he would as well.’ Today, we both kept our promise. I did bring the medal for you. Not seeing you for just over 10 days, you seemed to have changed a lot,” read the emotional message in her post.
