Sopita, Sukanya feel weight of responsibility to win Asiad gold
2016 Olympic champion weightlifters Sopita Tanasuanand and Sukanya Srisurat are being touted for gold at the Asian Games, while the sport’s powerhouse nation ,China, is still serving a doping ban.
National team manager Chairat Udomkijpanya said the association had set its sights on winning medals from all 15 weightlifting events but he placed especially high hopes on Sopita and Sukanya, who won the 48kg and 58kg golds in Rio Games two years ago.
In the upcoming Asiad, Sopita will compete in the 53kg while Sukanya will remain at 58kig.
The silver medalist in 2012 and 2016, Pimsiri Sirikaew, and 2016 bronze medalist Sinphet Kruaithong, the first Thai male weightlifter to win an Olympic medal, are also podium hopes for the Kingdom.
“Two gold medals are what our association is targeting in the Games,” said Chairat. “Our athletes have been lifting with good records in the global level. They are all ready to compete.”
Furthermore, Thailand has emerged as one of the strong contenders in weightlifting, with the Chinese still on a one-year-ban from international events after at least three samples of their athletes from the 2008 and 2012 Games tested positive.
Altogether nine countries, including Kazakhstan, have been banned from entering international events following a ruling from the International Weightlifting Federation in October last year.
Thailand will enter a 15-member team (eight men and seven women) for the weightlifting competition, which will take place from August 20 to 27 in Jakarta. Four years ago, in Incheon, the Kingdom managed just two bronzes from Rattikarn Gulnoi (women’s 58kg) and Chitchanok Pulsabrakul (women’s +75kg).
Jiu Jitsu Association of Thailand president Air Chief Marshal Chuchart Boonchai is hoping for at least one gold out of seven up for grabs in Indonesia. Apart from the Japanese martial arts, the games will also feature Kurash, Pencak SIlatm Sambo and Wushu.
