Paris table tennis player pairs elephant-print trousers with mocked outfit
Release date: July 24, 2024 18:52
Small Medium Large Thai table tennis players pair their much-criticized dress jackets with elephant-print pants during a training break in Paris on Tuesday. (Photo: Aueaviriayothin Wanwisa Facebook account)
Thailand’s old and unloved Olympic team uniform may have been officially discarded, but the country’s table tennis players have decided it shouldn’t remain in the closet forever.
The table tennis players took a break from training in Paris on Tuesday, wearing drop-shaped outfits that, this time, were accessorised and looked more casual.
They paired the jackets with elephant-print trousers (the ultimate tourist cliché) and posted the photo on athlete Wanwisa Aweviriyayothin’s Facebook page with a message warning readers not to take it too seriously.
“Cool. What do you think?” she wrote.
The new design was also shared on StadiumTH, the official Facebook page for Thai athletes at the Paris Games, on Wednesday, with some commenters calling the combination creative, while others said it was just OK or unacceptable.
A traditional silk uniform originally designed for all Thai players and staff was booed by the crowd when it was unveiled by badminton superstar Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who wore it with official trousers. The outfit was due to be worn by the Thai team at Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony.
Critics said the outfit was outdated and unsuited for the hot summers in the French capital, and while some said it was perfect for a local government meeting, it was not a good way to present Thai identity to the world during the Olympics.
Following public pressure, the Olympic Committee of Thailand decided last Friday to change the uniforms and allow athletes to wear official sports uniforms that are more casual and feature a ban chiang pattern to express Thai identity.
