Dr Nat Indrapana, president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand (TAT) and vice president of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), presided over the draw at the Town-in-Town Hotel yesterday.

The draw pits the Athens Olympics bronze medallist, Yaowapa, better known as Nong View, against inexperienced Sri Lankan Nilanthi Kumari in the first round. If she wins that contest, she will get a chance to meet Lebanon's Joelle Kamar in the second round.

If she gets over the hurdle and books a place in the final, a difficult showdown in the form of Chinese Wu Jingyu, champion at last year's Izmir-hosted World University Games, or Taiwanese Yang Shu-chun, silver medallist at the Universiade, awaits her.

Chonnapas, bronze medallist in the World Championships in Madrid last year and winner in the SEA Games in the Philippines, has an easy path to the final.

She takes on Kuwait's Aljassar Huda, Chonnapas in the first round and will meet the winner of the bout between Singaporean Ananurmelati Bte Abdul and Jordanian Razan Kamal in the second. Korea's Lee Sung-hye, a gold medallist at the Universiade, is likely to be her opponent in the final and may prove a handful.

In the men's category, Thailand's lone gold medallist at the Universiade, light weight Patiwat Thongsalap has an arduous task. He is pitted against Uzbekstan's An Vitaliy. A win will give the Thai a crack at Qatari Othman Boularas.

Patiwat has trouble looming in the form of Hadi Saei Boneh Kohal, gold medallist at the last year's World Championships and the Athens Olympics.

TAT adviser Pricha Thotrakul said he is satisfied with the draw. "It will be a fine event with many champions in the field. Chonnapas and Yaowapa have a good chance."

Preechachan Wiriyanupappong

The Nation