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Willi honoured for his Tsunami-project

วันที่ 23.01.2007, Copyright © www.kothny.de

Olympic bronze medal fencer Wiradech Kothny was yesterday recognised by the government as a 'good samaritan' and a model for youths due to his assistance for tsunami victims in southern Thailand. Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh presented a certificate of merit to the 28-year-old athlete, who won his medal for Germany at the 2000 Olympic Games.

The ministry praised him for ”his selfless devotion to the cause of humanity through assisting in the rehabilitation of the tsunami victims, for his dedication to the promotion of international cooperation, [and] for his endeavour in enhancing Thailand's role and profile in the international arena through his distinguished contribution in the field of sports”.

Mr Wiradech, widely known in Germany as Willi, used his fame as the first German national to be awarded a bronze medal in fencing at the Sydney Olympics by soliciting donations of up to 500,000 euros (22.8 million baht) for tsunami victims.

The Kanchanaburi-born fencer became a naturalised German when his Thai mother married Major Erik Kothny of the German armed forces in 1982.

He said his step-father had taught him from the very beginning that education was a guarantee for future success and that once he graduated he should do good things for his homeland.

Upon his return to Thailand in 2002, when he also acquired Thai nationality, he started studying at Bangkok University's communications arts department and aimed to promote the sport of fencing.

Last December, he won Thailand a bronze medal at the Doha Games. By that time he had also wound up a two-year project to assist Moken or sea gypsy people at Ban Bang Sak in Phangnga's Takua Pa district.

”With the helping hands of foreign volunteers and local villagers, some 50 houses and 20 boats, and a basic water works and sanitation facilities could be built,” said Mr Wiradech.

His next project is to run a centre to help the Moken children pursue education and English classes.

”We just received new funding to keep this educational centre up and running for at least three years,” said Mr Wiradech.

His next target is to compete with the Thai team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Mr Wiradech has also been named a samaritan by the Filippas Engel Foundation and his name was penned in the honorary book of Koblenz , the German town where his family has been living.

He has also received the fair play prize from the Sports Reporters Association of Thailand.

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