Junpim Kantatean and Pensiri Laosirikul won two silvers for Thailand after putting up a tough contest against Chinese competitors in the women's weightlifting 53kg and 48kg events yesterday,

Asian champion Junpim snatched 97kg and jerked 124kg for an overall 221kg, three kilos less than the powerful Li Ping, who walked away with the gold.

Thailand's other medal yesterday also came in the weightlifting, with Thongyim Bunphithak taking bronze behind Pensiri in the 48kg category.

Debutant Thongyim from Suphan Buri snatched 82kg and jerked 109kg for a combined total of 191kg. After snatching 82kg in her first attempt, she raised the weight to 87kg, but failed to register lifts in her remaining two attempts. She lifted 109kg at the second attempt in the clean and jerk, but 112kg proved too much for her.

Her overall lifts of 191kg earned her the bronze medal, and the first medal for Thailand in the Doha Games.

Team-mate Pensiri Laosirikul, silver medallist at last year's World Championships in Doha, went further however, brushing aside a cold to lift 80kg in the snatch, increasing it to 85kg, which she failed to lift on her second attempt. With one attempt left, Pensiri gave all she had to successfully clear the 85kg mark

In the clean and jerk it took her two attempts to clear 107kg, but she had to settle for silver after failing to lift 115kg with her third effort.

World champion Wang Mingjuan from China emerged victorious from the strong field of nine lifters - including Burma's Than Kyi Kyi, Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Bich Ha and the two Thais - to snatch the first gold medal in weightlifting.

The 21-year-old Wang snatched 90kg, jerked 116kg for a combined total of 206kg, well short of the world record of 217kg set by compatriot Yang Lian a few years

ago.

"I'm happy with my performance today. It's close to what I achieved during training. I'm also delighted that both of us [Thais] won medals for Thailand," Thongyim said after the awards ceremony at the Al-Dana Banaquet Hall.

Pensiri was also upbeat about her performance. "I snatched 82kg during my training session. My lifting in the snatch bettered what I had done in training. My second attempt in the snatch was not that good. I felt as if I couldn't control my arms. I'm happy to bring my silver medal back home."

Bussaba Yodbangtoey, president of the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association, admitted that the Thai duo could not match their Chinese rival.

"I knew the Chinese girl was too strong. However, before coming here, I was confident that my girls would win a medal even though it might not be the gold. As far as I'm concerned, Thongyim was exciting to watch in the competition. We still have chances to win tomorrow [today] with Wandee [Kamaeim]. She is fit physically and mentally and I think she will test the Chinese lifters."

Pensiri will receive Bt500,000 from the Sports Development Fund following her silver medal win, with Thongyim pocketing Bt200,000 as a bronze medallist.

Preechachan  Wiriyanupappong

The Nation

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