Sujirat Pookkham, one of Thailand’s most decorated Para badminton players, has officially retired from competition, closing a chapter on nearly two decades at the top of the sport.
The 40-year-old rose to prominence by winning gold at the 2009 World Championships in Seoul and went on to become a consistent podium finisher on the sport’s biggest stages, including the Paralympic Games and Asian Para Games.
Among the world’s best in her category during her prime, Pookkham captured WH1 women’s singles silver at Paris 2024, narrowly losing the final in three games to the much younger Sarina Satomi 21-18 13-21 18-21. She had won the same medal three years earlier at Tokyo 2020, when badminton made its Paralympic debut.
When she became world champion in 2009, Pookkham was one of Thailand’s first gold medallists in wheelchair badminton. She added two more gold – mixed doubles in 2013 and women’s doubles in 2015 – cementing her status as one of Thailand’s greatest Para badminton players.
Her retirement comes five months after concluding her international career at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Manama, Bahrain, where she claimed two more bronze in women’s singles and doubles.
Beyond the medals, Pookkham’s longevity and resilience made her an inspiration to Para athletes across Asia while helping elevate Thailand’s profile in adaptive sports.
We wish Sujirat the best in her future endeavours.
BWF Newsletter
