Payao Poontarat ( th, พเยาว์ พูนธรัตน์; ; October 18, 1956 – August 13, 2006) was a Thai
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
who, at the age of 18, won the bronze medal in the men's
Light flyweight
Light flyweight, also known as junior flyweight or super strawweight, is a weight class in boxing.
Professional boxing
The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds (49 kilograms). When New York legalized boxing in 1920, ...
(-48 kg) category at the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 P ...
. He was the first Thai athlete to win an Olympic medal in any sport.
1976 Olympic results
Below is the record of Payao Poontarat, a Thai light flyweight boxer who competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics:
* Defeated
Remus Cosma (Romania) by decision, 4-1
* Defeated
Aleksandr Tkachenko (Soviet Union) by decision, 3-2
* Defeated
György Gedó (Hungary) by decision, 4-1
* Lost to
Li Byong-Uk
Ri Byong-uk (born November 7, 1954) is a retired North Korean boxer, who won two Olympic medals in the men's Light Flyweight (48 kg) category.
Olympic results
1976
* Defeated Sidney McKnight (Canada) KO 1
* Defeated Henryk Średnicki ...
(North Korea) referee stooped contest in the second round (was awarded a bronze medal)
Boxing career
Born in the village of
Bang Sapan,
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Prachuap Khiri Khan ( th, ประจวบคีรีขันธ์, ) is a town in western Thailand. It is the capital of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and is on the coast at one of the narrowest stretches in Thailand, only from the border ...
, Phayao Poontarat came from a poor family. As a child, he sold flowers in the resort city of
Pattaya to help support his younger siblings. Like many poor boys in Thailand, he took up
Muay Thai, and he proved to be a gifted boxer under the ring name "Petchpayao Sitkrutat" (เพชรพะเยาว์ ศิษย์ครูทัศน์). He switched to international boxing and won a place on the Thai Olympic team in 1976. Though he finished with a bronze medal, Phayao gained attention by defeating the 1972 Olympic gold medal winner, Gyogy Gedo, in the quarter finals. He trained hard for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but his hopes for a gold were ended by the United States led
boycott over of the Soviet Union's invasion of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. Instead, he turned professional and on November 27, 1983 became
WBC superflyweight world champion by defeating
Rafael Orono
Jesus Rafael Orono (born August 30, 1958) is a former super flyweight boxing champion from Venezuela.
Amateur career
Born in Patono, Sucre, Orono began as an amateur and compiled a record of 49 wins and 8 losses.Mike DeLisa of www.cyberboxingzon ...
of
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
in a split decision. In his first title defence, against
Guty Espadas of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, Phayao was behind on all the score cards, but saved his championship belt with a 10th-round knockout. Phayao was then challenged by Japan's
Jiro Watanabe
is a Japanese former boxer. Watanabe, who fought only in Japan and South Korea, was one of the first World super flyweight champions, as the division was relatively new when he was crowned.
Biography
With a background in Shotokan Karate, he ...
and agreed to meet him. When they met in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
on July 5, 1984 Phayao lost by a controversial 12-round decision. The World Boxing Council viewed the tape and ordered a rematch. It took place in November, with Phayao losing by a technical knockout in the 11th round.
Political career
Giving up boxing, Phayao Poontarat became a Thai policeman with the rank of captain. He joined the
Democrat Party and in 2001 was elected as member of parliament for his home-province.
Personal life and death
In 2002, he began to suffer from
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as
Lou Gehrig's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...
. The disease is incurable. In 2006, Phayao died at the age of 48 at
Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. He was survived by his wife and several children.
Obituary in ''The Nation''
Professional boxing record
Muay Thai record
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, 1980-07-07, , Win, , align=left, Somnoi Bankhod , , Lumpinee Stadium , , Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern m ...
, , Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern m ...
, , Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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, 1975-04-07, , Loss, , align=left, Anantachai Singbangsaen , , Rajadamnern Stadium
Rajadamnern Stadium ( th, สนามมวยราชดำเนิน; ), also spelled ''Ratchadamnoen'', is a sporting arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Rajadamnern is one of the two main stadiums for modern m ...
, , Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
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, colspan=9 , ''Legend'':
References
External links
*
Professional record on Cyber Zone Boxing Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poontarat, Payao
1957 births
2006 deaths
Neurological disease deaths in Thailand
Deaths from motor neuron disease
Boxers at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Payao Poontarat
Payao Poontarat
Super-flyweight boxers
World super-flyweight boxing champions
World Boxing Council champions
Payao Poontarat
Payao Poontarat
Payao Poontarat
Olympic medalists in boxing
Payao Poontarat
Payao Poontarat
Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Southeast Asian Games medalists in boxing