After stunning successes in the Athens Olympics, the World Championships, the World University Weightlifting Championships and the SEA Games, the Thai weightlifting squad, spearheaded by plucky Pawina Thongsuk, is determined to correct an anomaly.

Powerful Chaiya Sukchinda was the first and the only Thai to win an Asian Games weightlifting gold medal in the Bangkok edition in 1966. No other Thai weightlifter could emulate Chaiya.

In Busan, South Korea, four years ago, Thailand could claim only silver medals through Pawina, Udomporn Polsak and Wandee Kameaim in the women's 69kg, 53kg and 58kg categories.

The failure to capture a gold rankled the trio and made them more determined than ever. They not only underwent intensive training but also participated in several major tournaments around the world.

Success came in the form of a gold medal for Pawina in the 69kg-event of the 2002 World Championships in Poland. Powerful Udomporn Polsak made history by becoming the first Thai lifter to win an Olympic gold medal in Athens.

Buoyed, the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (Tawa) is sending a strong team of 11 weightlifters including seven women with an aim of winning five medals to the Asian Games in Doha.

In the women's 48kg event, Thailand will field Thongyim Boonpitak and Pensiri Sae Lao. Rising star Thongyim captured a gold in the SEA Games last year while new talent Pensiri clinched a silver medal at the World Championships in Doha last year, where China's Wang Mingjuan bagged the gold. Predictably, China will mount a strong challenge to Thailand in the category.

Talented Junpim Kantatean, heir-apparent to Udomporn, and Suda Chaleephay will contest the women's 53kg division. Suda claimed a bronze at the World Juniors Championships in Busan last year and three medals including a silver at the World Championships in the Dominican Republic this year.

However, Junpim is Thailand's best bet. She not only won the gold medal at the World Juniors Championships, but also the World University Championships in Turkey, the World Championships in Doha and the SEA Games in Manila, all in the same year. China's Li Ping, who beat Junpim in the clean and jerk and the Olympic total at the world meet last year, is ready to renew her rivalry against the Thai duo.

In the women's 58kg event, Thailand pin their hopes on Wandee Kameaim, a bronze medallist at the Olympics, who won three medals including a gold at the World Championships. Chinese Qiu Hongmei, who beat Wandee in the snatch and the Olympic total at the world meet, is the favourite.

Thailand's main weapon is the powerful Pawina, who is ready to show her lifting prowess in the women's 63kg category.

Pawina, the first woman in a century to shatter world records in three different classes, 63kg, 69kg and 75kg, won the Best Female Athlete of Year 2005 award from the International Weightlifting Federation. She claimed gold at the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the World University Championships and the SEA Games. Her only failure, if one can call a silver medal that, was at the Asian Games.

In the women's over-75kg category, Annipar Moolthar, a gold medallist at the World University Championships, has something to prove on her debut at the Asian Games.

"We are aiming for five but two gold medals are a realistic target," Tawa's president Bussaba Yodbangtoey said.

"We find it very difficult to win gold medals in lighter weight categories, especially in the women's 48kg class. China is very strong.

"Our hopes are on Pawina and Junpim in the 63kg and 53kg events. I hope they will not let us down," he said.

Apart from seven women, Thailand will also field four men - Niwat Kritpetch in the 62kg event, Ronnayuth Amnoiwong and Sitthisak Suppalak in the 69kg and Kraisorn Dutthuyawat in the 77kg events, respectively. They face an uphill task.

Preechachan     Wiriyanupappong

The Nation