He will face Erislandy Alvarez Borges of Cuba tomorrow with a place in the semi-finals, which guarantees at least a bronze medal, at stake.
However, his compatriot Jutamas Jitpong became the third Thai fighter to bow out yesterday at North Paris Arena in Villepinte.
The 26-year-old lost to Widad Bertal of Morocco 3-2 in the round of 16 of the women’s 54kg division.
Jutamas’s exit followed the losses of Weerapon Jongjoho (men’s 80kg) and Thananya Somnuek (women’s 60kg) on Saturday.
In today’s action, Baison Manikon will begin her medal quest with a round of 16 clash against Davina Michel of France in the women’s 75kg division.
Other women boxers Chutamat Raksat and Janjaem Suwannapheng will be in action in the round of 16 tomorrow.
Chutamat will take on Sabina Bobokulova of Uzbekistan in the women’s 50kg event while Janjaem will face Brigitte Mbabi of Congo in the women’s 66kg clash.
Ratchanok faces Tai
Badminton star Ratchanok Intanon will face Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan today with a place in the round of 16 of the women’s singles competition on the line.
The 29-year-old, who is competing in her fourth Olympics, began her Paris campaign on Monday with a comfortable 21-8, 21-8 win over Lianne Tan of Belgium in Group E.
Tai also beat Tan in two games in her opening group match on Sunday.
Only a group winner goes through to the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai will face Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan in the mixed doubles quarter-finals today.
The Thai pair lost to Seo Seung-Jae and Chae Yu-Jung of South Korea 16-21, 21-10, 15-21 on Monday to finish runners-up in Group B.
The defeat in their final group match meant the Thais are in a tougher section of the draw, which includes world No.1 Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong and world No.2 Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
The Chinese pairs will meet in the other quarter-final match.
Women’s doubles players Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai lost their second Group D match against Denmark’s Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen 22-20, 21-23, 22-24 and their hopes of making it to the last eight now hang in the balance.
They were due to play their final group match against Baek Ha-Na and Lee So-Hee last night.
Swimmer Dulyawat Kaewsiriyong came fifth with a time of 50.64 in the men’s 100 freestyle heat 5 yesterday.
Shooting gold for Serbia
Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec won the 10-metre air pistol mixed team gold yesterday.
They beat Sevval Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec of Turkey 16-14 at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.
Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh claimed the bronze for India beating the South Korean pair Oh Ye-Jin and Lee Won-Ho 16-10.
Bhaker, who won a bronze in the women’s individual event, became India’s first multi-medallist at an Olympic Games since the country’s independence in 1947.
In the gold medal contest, the Turkish pair of Tarhan and Dikec shrugged off a slow start to open up an 8-4 lead and were on the brink of victory at 14-12.
But Arunovic and Mikec staged a brilliant comeback to run away with the gold. The victorious duo hugged, tumbled and rolled on the floor in jubilation.
Men’s triathlon postponed
Meanwhile, the men’s triathlon was postponed just hours before it was due to get under way yesterday after last-ditch water quality tests in the River Seine revealed unhealthy pollution levels, organisers said.
In a blow to Olympic officials, who have repeatedly vowed that the Seine would be safe for athletes to swim in, organisers said the men’s event would be delayed by 24 hours and take place immediately after the women’s race today.
A joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon blamed the excessive pollution on the heavy rain that deluged the French capital on Friday and Saturday.
“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes,” the statement said after a meeting.
“The tests carried out in the Seine on Wednesday revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.
“Unfortunately, meteorological events beyond our control... can alter water quality and compel us to reschedule the event for health reasons.”