Source:REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
[Saba Sports News] Besides her outstanding skills, Thailand’s badminton rising star Pitchamon Opatniputh is also appealing for her sunny, cute image. As a hot prospect in the badminton world right now, she has drawn interest from many brands; several have even been contacting her, hoping to sign her as an ambassador and shoot commercials. However, Pitchamon’s mother, Sasila Opatnipus, posted a statement on her personal Facebook saying that while many brands have indeed reached out and they appreciate all the invitations, unfortunately her daughter cannot accept these partnership offers at this time. At this stage, her daughter wants to devote all her energy to training and international competition. She needs to build up her fitness and undergo high-intensity training to try to achieve a higher world ranking this year. Accepting endorsement work would not leave enough time to rest, so for now she will decline them.
Nineteen-year-old Pitchamon has been standing out more and more on the BWF World Tour in recent years, with steadily improving strength. She finished runner-up at the Orléans Masters in France, and her world ranking rose to No. 23, the highest she has achieved since joining the world tour.
The editor believes that Pitchamon’s decision to temporarily decline endorsements is a wise one that puts professional achievement first while also considering long-term commercial sustainability. If she can continue to climb the rankings and contend for Superseries-level titles, her future commercial value will far exceed the short-term gains from taking endorsements now.