WANCHAI RUJAWONGSANTI
BEIJING : One World, One Dream. And four medals for Thailand. As the 2008 Olympics came to a close in Beijing last night, Thailand finished with two gold medals from weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon and boxer Somjit Jongjohor and two silver medals from taekwondo exponent Buttree Puedpong and boxer Manus Boonjumnong.
Prapawadee and Somjit laid the ghosts of 2004 to rest with their golden performances in Beijing. Prapawadee was in a class of her own in the 53kg division, while Somjit put on the best display of his career to win the flyweight title.
Thailand has won 21 Olympic medals, including seven gold, since first taking part in the Olympics in 1952. All Thailand's medals were won in three sports _ boxing, weightlifting and taekwondo.
Four years ago, Prapawadee and Somjit almost quit their sports, but changed their minds after encouragement from their bosses and friends.
Prapawadee was not selected for the Athens squad as the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (Tawa) preferred Udomporn Polsak, who went on to become Thailand's first female Olympic champion.
Prapawadee left the training camp and did not train for almost one year. She was persuaded to return by Maj-Gen Intharat Yodbangtoey, the president of the Tawa at the time, and his wife Bussaba, who is now chief of the association.
Prapawadee, who comes from Nakhon Sawan, almost failed to make it to Beijing after suffering a severe elbow injury at the 2007 World Championships in Chiang Mai. She recovered after a three-month lay-off, just in time for the biggest victory of her career.
''It was like a clear sky after a rain storm,'' said the 24-year-old after her triumph in Beijing.
Her bid for gold was probably boosted when she changed her name last year from Junpim Kantatian at the suggestion of a nun, who said her old name could block her road to the top.
Four years ago Somjit lost in heartbreaking circumstances in Athens. He had a three-point cushion after three rounds in the round of 16 against Cuba's Yuriorkis Gamboa. Then disaster struck in the final round as Gamboa won the bout and went on to take gold.
The Buri Ram boxer, who broke down in tears after the loss, wanted to quit but his fans encouraged him to continue fighting to fulfil his dream of winning an Olympic medal. Determined to put things right in Beijing, Somjit, 33, fought brilliantly for the whole tournament, winning every bout with ease. He capped his memorable campaign with an 8-2 victory over Cuba's Andris Laffita Hernandez in the final.
''I waited patiently for this for 12 years and I finally did it,'' said a tearful Somjit.
Manus failed to become Thailand's first two-time Olympic champion after losing 12-4 to Felix Diaz of the Dominican Republic. However, he made history as the first Thai athlete to win more than one Olympic medal.
Buttree, 17, is the new darling of Thai sport after becoming Thailand's most successful taekwondo exponent with a silver medal in the 49kg division.
Taweep Jantararoj, the president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand, said his team could have won more medals.
''It was a pity that some of them were eliminated in the early rounds,'' he said.
Gen Taweep caused a stir during the Games when he claimed three Thai officials, one of whom was in Beijing, had tried to ''sell the country'' by lobbying judges and pushing for his boxers to lose. Gen Taweep did not name anyone, but Thailand's IOC member Nat Indarapana said he had never done anything to undermine Thailand's campaign.
Pimol Srivikorn, the president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, said the Olympics were a success for his squad as the country won only one bronze medal in Athens.
''The results are satisfying because we aimed to win that number of medals,'' said Charouck Arirachakaran, the secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand.
''The weightlifting and boxing associations met their targets, while the taekwondo association had a good result in winning a silver.''
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BEIJING : One World, One Dream. And four medals for Thailand. As the 2008 Olympics came to a close in Beijing last night, Thailand finished with two gold medals from weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon and boxer Somjit Jongjohor and two silver medals from taekwondo exponent Buttree Puedpong and boxer Manus Boonjumnong.
Prapawadee and Somjit laid the ghosts of 2004 to rest with their golden performances in Beijing. Prapawadee was in a class of her own in the 53kg division, while Somjit put on the best display of his career to win the flyweight title.
Thailand has won 21 Olympic medals, including seven gold, since first taking part in the Olympics in 1952. All Thailand's medals were won in three sports _ boxing, weightlifting and taekwondo.
Four years ago, Prapawadee and Somjit almost quit their sports, but changed their minds after encouragement from their bosses and friends.
Prapawadee was not selected for the Athens squad as the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (Tawa) preferred Udomporn Polsak, who went on to become Thailand's first female Olympic champion.
Prapawadee left the training camp and did not train for almost one year. She was persuaded to return by Maj-Gen Intharat Yodbangtoey, the president of the Tawa at the time, and his wife Bussaba, who is now chief of the association.
Prapawadee, who comes from Nakhon Sawan, almost failed to make it to Beijing after suffering a severe elbow injury at the 2007 World Championships in Chiang Mai. She recovered after a three-month lay-off, just in time for the biggest victory of her career.
''It was like a clear sky after a rain storm,'' said the 24-year-old after her triumph in Beijing.
Her bid for gold was probably boosted when she changed her name last year from Junpim Kantatian at the suggestion of a nun, who said her old name could block her road to the top.
Four years ago Somjit lost in heartbreaking circumstances in Athens. He had a three-point cushion after three rounds in the round of 16 against Cuba's Yuriorkis Gamboa. Then disaster struck in the final round as Gamboa won the bout and went on to take gold.
The Buri Ram boxer, who broke down in tears after the loss, wanted to quit but his fans encouraged him to continue fighting to fulfil his dream of winning an Olympic medal. Determined to put things right in Beijing, Somjit, 33, fought brilliantly for the whole tournament, winning every bout with ease. He capped his memorable campaign with an 8-2 victory over Cuba's Andris Laffita Hernandez in the final.
''I waited patiently for this for 12 years and I finally did it,'' said a tearful Somjit.
Manus failed to become Thailand's first two-time Olympic champion after losing 12-4 to Felix Diaz of the Dominican Republic. However, he made history as the first Thai athlete to win more than one Olympic medal.
Buttree, 17, is the new darling of Thai sport after becoming Thailand's most successful taekwondo exponent with a silver medal in the 49kg division.
Taweep Jantararoj, the president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand, said his team could have won more medals.
''It was a pity that some of them were eliminated in the early rounds,'' he said.
Gen Taweep caused a stir during the Games when he claimed three Thai officials, one of whom was in Beijing, had tried to ''sell the country'' by lobbying judges and pushing for his boxers to lose. Gen Taweep did not name anyone, but Thailand's IOC member Nat Indarapana said he had never done anything to undermine Thailand's campaign.
Pimol Srivikorn, the president of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, said the Olympics were a success for his squad as the country won only one bronze medal in Athens.
''The results are satisfying because we aimed to win that number of medals,'' said Charouck Arirachakaran, the secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand.
''The weightlifting and boxing associations met their targets, while the taekwondo association had a good result in winning a silver.''
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