Wilavan Apinyapong

Wilavan Apinyapong วิลาวัณย์ อภิญญาพงศ์
Personal information
Nickname	Give
Born	(1984-06-06) June 6, 1984 Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Spike	294 cm (116 in)
Block	282 cm (111 in)
Volleyball information
Position	Outside hitter
Current club	Supreme Chonburi
Number	10
Career
Years Teams 2006–2007 Tan Hao 2007–2008 Sang Som 2007–2008 IBSA Club Voleibol 2008–2010 Ereğli Belediye 2010–2011 Federbrau 2010–2011 Guangzhou Evergrande 2011–2012 Chang 2011–2012 Fujian Xi Meng Bao 2012–2014 Igtisadchi Baku 2014–2015 Nakhon Ratchasima 2015 (loan) Bangkok Glass 2015–present Supreme Chonburi 2016 (loan) Bangkok Glass 2017 (loan) VTV BĐ LA
National team
2001–present Thailand
Honours Women's Volleyball Representing  Thailand Asian Games 2018 Jakarta/Palembang Team 2014 Incheon Team Asian Championship 2009 Hanoi 2013 Nakhon Ratchasima 2017 Biñan 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

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 has been the captain for the Thailand women's national volleyball team since 2008.

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]

Personal life

Apinyapong married Nattapong Kesapan, at Kham Sakaesaeng, Nakhon Ratchasima in 7 May 2017.^[7] Apinyaponng graduate from Bangkok University with a bachelor and a master degree.

Awards

National team

Royal decorations

• 2013 - Commander (Third Class) of The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant^[8]
• 2010 - Companion (Fourth Class) of The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn^[9]

References

Awards
Preceded by Wang Yimei	Most Valuable Player of Asian Championship 2013	Succeeded by Zhu Ting

External links

Media related to Wilavan Apinyapong at Wikimedia Commons