Wilavan Apinyapong

Wilavan Apinyapong (Thai: วิลาวัณย์ อภิญญาพงศ์; RTGS: Wilawan Aphinyaphong, born June 6, 1984) is a Thai professional volleyball player who plays for Azerbaijan Club Igtisadchi Baku in the Azerbaijan Super League and the Thai National Team as an Outside Hitter.[1] She was the captain for the Thailand women's national volleyball team from 2008 to 2016 when Pleumjit took the captain role.

Wilavan Apinyapong
วิลาวัณย์ อภิญญาพงศ์
Personal information
NicknameGive
Born (1984-06-06) June 6, 1984
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Spike294 cm (116 in)
Block282 cm (111 in)
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Current clubSupreme Chonburi
Number10
National team
2001–2020Thailand
Honours
Women's Volleyball
Representing  Thailand
Asian Games
2018 Jakarta/PalembangTeam
2014 IncheonTeam
Asian Championship
2009 Hanoi
2013 Nakhon Ratchasima
2017 Biñan
2019 Seoul
2001 Nakhon Ratchasima
2007 Nakhon Ratchasima
2015 Tianjin
Asian Cup
2012 Almaty
2010 Taicang
2008 Nakhon Ratchasima
2016 Vĩnh Phúc
2018 Nakhon Ratchasima
Southeast Asian Games
2001 Kuala Lumpur Team
2003 Hanoi Team
2005 Manila Team
2007 Nakhon Ratchasima Team
2009 Vientiane Team
2011 Palembang/Jakarta Team
2013 Naypyidaw Team
2015 Singapore Team
2017 Kuala Lumpur Team
2019 Philippines Team

Apinyapong led the Thai team to win the first gold medal at 2009 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship and beaten China 3-1 for the first time in history. She again led the team to victory in the 2013 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship where she also received the MVP award of the event.

Career

Apinyapong signed with the Spanish professional club IBSA Club Voleibol for the 2007-2008 season of the Spanish Superliga, playing with her countrymate Nootsara Tomkom.[2][3] For the next two seasons, she and some of her Thai teammates, such as Malika Kanthong, Amporn Hyapha signed with the Turkish club Ereğli Belediye and had a successful club career there.

In 2010, she signed with the Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande under coach Jenny Lang Ping. Along with the Olympics MVP Feng Kun, Yang Hao, Logan Tom, Jovana Brakočević. She was benched most of the time during the season because of the limitation on foreigner players were only two foreign players were allowed on the court.

Next season, she moved to another Chinese club team Fujian Xi Meng Bao and played alongside good friend Pleumjit Thinkaow and Chinese Olympics bronze medalist Xu Yunli.

The Thai team went on to finish in fourth place at the 2012 World Grand Prix, making it the best result for Thailand since 2002 as the Thai team participated for the first time. After winning the gold medal against China at the 2012 Asian Women's Cup Volleyball Championship, Apinyapong and her 6 other teammates signed for Igtisadchi Baku and helped the team to win the silver medal at the 2012–13 Azerbaijan Women's Volleyball Super League. They also qualified for the 2013/2014 CEV Women's Champions League for the very first time since the club was founded.

In 2013 she received the MVP award at the 2013 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship . She extended the contract with Igtisadchi Baku for one more year and was subsequently appointed captain. In late 2013, after winning the gold medal at 2013 Southeast Asian Games, Apinyapong said that she will not go to compete at the 2014 FIVB Women's World Championship because she is set to join the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, considering that she might have a chance to win at least one medal.

In 2015 she played with the local Bangkok Glass on loan.[4] She also played on loan with Bangkok Glass in 2016.[5] She moved to the Vietnamese VTV Bình Điền Long An in 2017, playing on loan.[6]

She is on the list 2019 Korea-Thailand all star super match competition.[7]

After not qualifying to the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wilavan decided to retire after representing Thailand for 19 years, along with Nootsara[8].

Personal life

Apinyapong married Nattapong Kesapan, at Kham Sakaesaeng, Nakhon Ratchasima on 7 May 2017.[9] Apinyapong graduated from Bangkok University with a bachelor and a master degree.[10]

Clubs

Awards

Individuals

Clubs

Royal decorations
gollark: Oh, yes.
gollark: What?
gollark: It's heavpoot's fault.
gollark: I resent this.
gollark: Why don't you?

References
  1. "Player's biography". Fédération Internationale de Volleyball. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  2. "El anfitrión Ibsa sueña con meterse en las semifinales". Canarias7 (in Spanish). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. EFE. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  3. "SFV: Previa de la décimotercera jornada de la Fase Regular" (in Spanish). RFEVB. 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  4. http://www.smmsport.com/reader.php?article=5747
  5. http://www.smmsport.com/reader.php?article=5747
  6. http://www.smmsport.com/reader.php?news=195052
  7. "ยืนยัน รายชื่อ-เบอร์เสื้อ นักตบศึก เกาหลี-ไทย สนามเทอร์มินอล 21". smmsport.com. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  8. Limited, Bangkok Post Public Company. "Thais suffer yet another heartbreak". https://www.bangkokpost.com. Retrieved 2020-07-01. External link in |website= (help)
  9. "ชื่นมื่น!วิลาวัณย์ควงแฟนหนุ่มเข้าวิวาห์,คนลูกยางร่วมงานแน่น" [I have a boyfriend to marry, a rubber ball to work together]. SMMSPORT. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  10. "กิ๊ฟ วิลาวัณย์ อภิญญาพงศ์ ประวัติ กัปตันทีมนักวอลเลย์สาวไทย". kapook.com. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  11. ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก และเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติยศยิ่งมงกุฎไทย ให้แก่นักกีฬาวอลเลย์บอลหญิงทีมชาติไทยและเจ้าหน้าที่ เล่ม ๑๓๐ ตอนที่ ๒๒ ข ๑๐ ตุลาคม ๒๕๕๖ หน้า ๑
  12. 20 นักตบปลื้มรับเครื่องราชฯทำคุณประโยชน์ด้านกีฬา
Awards
Preceded by
Wang Yimei		 Most Valuable Player of
Asian Championship
2013		 Succeeded by
Zhu Ting

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