Mu Pa rescue commander Narongsak to join trip to Youth Olympics

By The Nation

 

File photo: The ex-Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn (R).

 

The ex-Chiang Rai governor who commanded the rescue operation for missing Mu Pa footballers and their deputy coach has said he will join the team on their trip to the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.

 

The leadership of Narongsak Osottanakorn, now Payao governor, has been praised for helping turn “Mission Impossible” into “Mission Possible” in the successful effort to find and rescue the trapped 12 Mu Pa football players and their deputy coach inside the Tham Luang cave.

 

Narongsak led the mission to its perfect outcome with cooperation from international teams in an operation that gripped the world’s attention for two weeks.

 

Some considered it a miracle just to find the boys 10 days after they went missing in the cave in late June. 

 

Getting them out of the flooded cave was even tougher but all were removed safely to the relief of their parents and those following developments from around world.

 

The team will travel to Buenos Aires in Argentina to attend the Youth Olympic Games from October 4 to 9 and have been invited to watch the opening ceremony at the invitation of International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach.

 

Bach revealed that he decided to invite them to the Games as they reflected truly Olympic values by showing great strength and resilience despite being trapped. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the IOC.

 

Bach will meet the team during the visit. According to the IOC website, the committee is very happy the footballers have accepted their invitation to come to the Games.

 

“Being in the Youth Olympic Village will be an enrichment both for them and the other athletes,” Bach is quoted as saying. “We also plan to organise a football game for them so that they can not only enjoy the life in the Village, but also demonstrate their sporting skills.” 

 

Narongsak added that the group will be in Argentina until October 9, when they will travel to the United States.

 

During the stay, they will give an interview to the Late Night Show in New York on October 11 and meet the media on October 12 at the Thai Consular General office before returning to Thailand on October 20.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355581

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-1

Wonder jow many other snouts will be trying yo get in the trough for this freebie.

Does their coach get to go or is he still in the dog-house?

Do they all have Thai nationalities and passports by now, or will they become temporary diplomats? You got 2 days...

This IS Thailand, anything is possible regarding passports, seem to remember one guy braving the Bangkok floods to organise what was probably an illegal passport for an ex PM living off-shore. So a passport or two for a couple of kids won't pose the slightest problem.  

13 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

Does their coach get to go or is he still in the dog-house?

Says so in the first paragraph.

13 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

Does their coach get to go or is he still in the dog-house?

 

It's been mentioned in every report about the trip that he will join.

 

Dog house? What dog house, he's received plenty of sincere praise from the parents and more. 

14 hours ago, Zonka said:

Wonder jow many other snouts will be trying yo get in the trough for this freebie.

I'm not entirely sure that it is fair to refer to Narongsak Osottanakorn as a "a snout in the trough". I think that he showed some real leadership during the rescue operation, co-ordinating the various different concurrent operations, ensuring that the experts were listened to and given the resources they needed, and restraining the inevitable attempts at grandstanding; which will not help any future career prospects. Mind you, by all accounts his career was already stuffed by some of the unpopular and "fiscally unattractive" ( for certain influential parties) decisions which he had made in Chiang Rai province previous to the rescue.

He is probably the best man to represent the Thai Government side of the operation.

 

I am surprised that a certain well known athlete, distinguished sportsman and chairman of the Thai Olympic Committee isn't in the mix...

11 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Says so in the first paragraph.

It says "deputy coach" in that paragraph.

Does that mean the same guy?

 

49 minutes ago, CelticBhoy said:

It says "deputy coach" in that paragraph.

Does that mean the same guy?

 

Yes, technically he was a deputy coach, though in most cases he's been referred to simply as their coach. This led to some confusion in early media reports, when it was mentioned that a "coach" went out looking for the boys after it was realised they were missing - that particular coach was the deputy coach's superior, and was not part of the group of 13 who'd got trapped in the cave.