(CTN News) – The old, loathed Thai Olympic team jersey may have been formally retired, but the country’s table tennis players have decided it should not be put away permanently.
The ping pong players took a break from a training session in Paris on Tuesday to put on the identical costume, this time accessorized for a more casual look.
They paired the jacket with elephant-patterned pants, the ultimate tourist cliche, and shared the photographs on player Wanwisa Aueaviriyayothin’s Facebook page, along with a warning to readers not to take it too seriously.
“It seems cool. “What do you think?” She wrote.
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The new look was published on Stadium TH, an official Facebook page for Thai players at the Paris Games, on Wednesday. Some commenters praised the coupling as inventive, while others found it so-so or unpleasant.
The people booed the traditional silk dress outfit developed for Thai athletes and personnel, which included badminton champion Sapsiree Taerattanachai as the model. She paired it with official trousers. The attire was designed for the Thai squad to wear for the Games’ opening ceremony on Friday.
Critics said the attire was out of date and unsuited for the sweltering summer in the French city. Some felt it was OK for a small government meeting upcountry, but not for displaying Thai culture to the world during the Games.
The Thai Olympic Committee opted to allow athletes to wear their official sports uniforms, which are more casual and still reflect Thai culture with the Ban Chiang design, in response to popular outcry.
Source: Bangkok Post
