Thailand's Weightlifting Stars Chase Asian Games Medals
Thailand's weightlifting team will field 10 athletes at the upcoming Asian Games, led by Olympic medalists Wave Weeraphol Wichuma and Oy Surajana Kumbao, aiming to deliver medals for the country.
Thailand's weightlifting team will send its strongest squad to chase medals at the 20th Asian Games, led by two Olympic medalists, Weeraphol Wichuma (Wave) and Surajana Kumbao (Oy). General Wisut Dechsakul, secretary-general of the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association, is confident the team's capabilities place it at the forefront of Asia and will not disappoint fans.
General Wisut revealed that Thai weightlifters are training at the National Weightlifting Training Center in Chiang Mai with support from Thailand's Sports Authority (SAT). The team has a quota of 10 athletes—five men and five women—selected through intensive trials to secure the strongest competitors with the best records. Weightlifting is among Thailand's medal-winning opportunities at the Asian Games.
The stars anchoring Thai hopes include Wave Weeraphol Wichuma, a gold medalist at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games and silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Oy Surajana Kumbao, a gold medalist at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games and bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both are key pillars in Thailand's bid for medals.
"The association has fully applied sports science to build athletes' physical condition to peak performance and aid injury recovery, with strong support from SAT," General Wisut said. "Thai weightlifters have consistently delivered for the country, and we will do our best this time. Though we face strong rivals like China, South Korea, and Indonesia, our elite-level athletes should not let anyone down. We ask Thai sports fans to support us."
