Rio 2016: Thai Olympic badminton gold medal hope Ratchanok Intanon cleared of doping violation

BANGKOK // World No 4 Ratchanok Intanon has been cleared of an anti-doping violation, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said in a statement on Monday, paving the way for the Thai medal hope to compete at the Rio Olympics.

Ratchanok had been given a provisional suspension on July 13 after reports that she had failed a dope test during the Uber Cup tournament in China in May.

A second sample taken from Ratchanok was sent to Japan for testing and a hearing process by badminton’s governing body began following Ratchanok’s suspension.

“The Panel concluded that ... no violation of the regulations was committed,” the BWF said in a statement.

Badminton’s governing body lifted the suspension, allowing Ratchanok to take part in competitions with immediate effect.

At a news conference in Bangkok on Monday, Ratchanok said she was happy to have been proven innocent.

“I didn’t do anything wrong and I am confident in the decision of the BWF. I’m happy I received justice,” Ratchanok told reporters.

“I will focus on training in order to bring success to the Thai people.”

Ratchanok’s team had said she received an injection during the China tournament in May to treat a knee injury and that could have been the reason for her sample initially testing positive.

Ratchanok, 21, will be among Thailand’s main medal hopes in Rio and one of the chief threats to China’s chances of defending their sweep of all five badminton titles at the London Games.

Ratchanok has charmed the Thai public, who affectionately call her Nong May, with her girl-next-door demeanour despite the fame and riches of sporting success.

In 2013 she became the youngest ever world champion. She was briefly ranked No 1 after winning Singapore Open in April but has since slipped to fourth.

A medal favourite in Rio, she will carry the Olympic hopes of a country with few top-class athletes.

She has caught the imagination of Thais as much for her rags to riches back story as on-court heroics.

Her parents are migrants to Bangkok from the country’s poor north-east who worked in menial jobs at a badminton centre on the outskirts of the city.

While they worked, Ratchanok played badminton unlocking her talent at the age of six.

In a recent interview with Agence France-Presse in Bangkok she said she was “100 per cent confident” of bringing home a medal from the Rio Olympics.

Fans congratulated Ratchanok on her Instagram account where she had recently posted a picture of the stars with the cryptic caption “I’m faded” as the doping rumours swirled last week.

“The sky after a storm always shines,” one fan wrote.

Another added: “You’re not faded, you are now brighter.”

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