PM praises Thai shooter wins first World Cup gold

BANGKOK, April 26 (TNA) -- Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha has praised Thai shooter Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit after defeating Olympic champion Kimberly Rhode of the United States and received her first ISSF World Cup shooting gold medal in Rio de Janeiro last Saturday, said a spokesman of the Prime Minister’s Office. Ms Sutiya has become the first Thai champion to have won the ISSF World Cup shooting gold medal in Brazil. He quoted Gen Prayut as saying that Thai athletes, no matter amateurs or professionals, could display their potential and succeed at the international level if they devote time for training. In last Saturday’s competition that also served as an Olympic test event, Ms Sutiya and Rhode closed the final with 15 target hits each, forcing the match into a tiebreaker. Ms Rhode missed at the fourth additional double and the Thai shooter held her nerve to clinch the gold medal. The Thai champion said after winning that she planned to travel to San Marino in June and then she would focus on the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. Ms Sutiya will be making her third straight appearance at the upcoming Olympic Games after competing at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. (TNA)