Ratchanok Intanon will hear Monday whether she will carry the Thai flag at the Rio Olympics, or miss the Games entirely for a failed drug test.
With less than three weeks to go before the 31st Olympics' opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 5, Thai fans are keeping their fingers crossed that Ratchanok, who reportedly failed a dope test earlier this year, will be proclaimed innocent in time to join the country's contingent at the Games.
The 21-year-old Ratchanok, a former world champion and No.1 who was initially lined up to carry the Thai flag at the opening ceremony, has been left waiting for a ruling from the Badminton World Federation over doping allegations. An official statement from the sport's governing body is expected tomorrow.
Now ranked No.4 in the world, Ratchanok was expected to deliver Thailand's first badminton medal at Rio, but her preparations have been rocked by the doping saga.
Even if she is declared innocent, there are no guarantees that the star player will be able to recover from the traumatic experience.
However, the Thai Olympic Committee is stressing there are other talented athletes who are capable of winning medals for Thailand in Rio and, on their day, can even end the country's eight-year Olympic gold drought.
After boxer Somluck Kamsing produced the first gold medal in 1996, Thailand went on a streak, winning gold in 2000, 2004 and 2008. That streak come to a halt at London 2012 where the Thais could only manage one silver and two bronze medals.
The London debacle forced all national sports associations to start afresh in the hope of putting on a more competitive show at the Rio Games. Their attempts bore fruits and there has been a massive increase in the number of Thai Olympians this year.
Including Ratchanok, Thailand will have 52 athletes at the Aug 5-21 Games participating in weightlifting (9), badminton (7), boxing (5), shooting (4), golf (4), athletics (4), taekwondo (3), table tennis (3), windsurfing (2), rowing (2), yachting (2), swimming (2), cycling (2), judo (1), archery (1) and skeet shooting (1).
"The number of Thai athletes earning places at the Rio Games is higher than our expectations because we were hoping for a maximum of 37 qualifiers, the same as the London Games," said Sport Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Sakol Wannapong.
"I am happy not only because of the increase in the number of qualifiers, but also because of their improved performances," added Sakol.
"I am quite confident they will fare better than the last time in London."