Bangkok, April 15 Basketball Sport Association of Thailand (BSAT) President Nipondh Chawalitmontien lent a helping hand with his resources to help produce masks to assist the combat against COVID-19 in Thailand.
Aside from his position as president of BSAT, Chawalitmontien is also the finance director of a manufacturing and exporting company in the textile industry, reports Xinhua news agency.
In cooperation with the government and private sectors, Chawalitmontien devoted a number of manufacturing lines at the factory to the mass-production of hygienic masks.
Chawalitmontien aimed to produce at least four million masks over two months to be distributed to those in need.
"All sports had stopped playing, and my question was what BSAT could do for society in such times," said Chawalitmontien. "We called for a meeting and decided to use a portion of our budget, which includes what we had received from FIBA, to help out with the costs of production and distribution."
"The distribution by BSAT was not limited to only those in the basketball and sports community, but included any other organizations that reached out to us." Chawalitmontien added.
"Our masks are reusable and washable, which is enough for regular citizens," Chawalitmontien added. "With N95 masks and single-use hygienic masks in limited stock, they should be reserved for those in the medical industry working on the frontline."
Thailand currently has over 2,500 confirmed COVID-19 patients with 40 deaths, and the number of newly confirmed patients has seen a significant drop over the past week.
( With inputs from IANS )