EGAT provides 8 million baht to support young Thai powerhouse heroes at the 2024 Paris Games. Meanwhile, ‘Jao Got’, a young powerhouse of the Thai national team, has moved up to guarantee at least a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games. They are waiting for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule on the appeal of the Chinese athletes to officially win the gold medal.

After 4 young Thai powerlifters went to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in Paris, France, where they won 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal from 4 categories, they just returned to Thailand this morning. They were led by “Fang” Thiraphong Silachai, silver medalist in weightlifting, 61 kg men’s category, “Wave” Weerapol Wichuma, silver medalist in weightlifting, 73 kg men’s category, “Oil” Surajana Khambao, bronze medalist in weightlifting, 49 kg women’s category, and “Som” Duangakson Jaidee, 6th place in the over 81 kg women’s category. The families of all 4 athletes went to pick them up at the airport, but for “Fang-Thiraphong’s” fami
ly, the father did not go to pick them up at the airport because he was sick, so the uncle came to pick them up instead.

Mr. Sem Silachai, father of Thiraphong Silachai or Fang, watched the pictures of his son’s return home to Sisaket Province after he was discharged from the hospital for treatment on his mobile phone that the reporter showed him. While Fang’s father was watching the touching pictures, he was moved to tears, touched by all the encouragement and success of his son. When the reporter asked Fang what he wanted to be, Fang answered that he wanted to be a soldier, which was the answer that his father wanted his son to be. He also revealed that if he met his son, he would hug him, tie a knot on his arm to welcome him, and take him to make merit at the village’s spirit house.

In the afternoon, the weightlifting team received financial support from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the main sponsor of the association. Dr. Prasert Sinsukprasert, Permanent Secretary of the Mini
stry of Energy and Chairman of the EGAT Board of Directors, Mr. Thepparat Theppitak, Governor of EGAT, and EGAT staff warmly welcomed them. Since EGAT became the main sponsor of the Weightlifting Association in 2004 under the government’s ‘One Sports Association, One State Enterprise’ project, the Thai national weightlifting team has won 5 gold medals, 4 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals in the Olympic Games. This time, 3 million baht was given to ‘Fang-Teerapong’ and ‘Wave-Weerapol’, who won the silver medal, and 2 million baht to ‘Oil-Surajana’, who won the bronze medal, for a total of 8 million baht.

Progress on ‘Jao Got’ Chatuphum Chinwong, a Thai national weightlifter who has the right to move up from 4th place to win a gold medal in the men’s 77 kg weightlifting at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil after 3 higher-ranked powerlifters were found to have used banned stimulants. Niyat Rahimov, the gold medalist from Kazakhstan, and Mohammed Ihabi, the bronze medalist from Egypt, have definitely been di
squalified. Meanwhile, Lu Xiaojun, the silver medalist from China, who was moved up to win the gold medal instead, has the possibility of having his medal confiscated due to using stimulants. However, China is currently appealing to the World Court of Arbitration for Sport.

By “Seth Yod” Major General Intharat Yodbangtoey, Honorary President of the Amateur Weightlifting Association of Thailand, it is expected that we will have to wait for the court’s decision for about 4-5 months before we can conclude this matter. But for now, at least Chatuphum has a silver medal in his hands for sure. We are just waiting for the court’s decision and the official announcement from the IOC.

Source: Thai News Agency