What Thailand's voluntary weightlifting ban means for Mirabai Chanu at Tokyo Olympics
Thailand has volunteered to ban itself from 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games weightlifting even after the country was embroiled into a string of doping cases, removing a traditional power in the sport from contention.
Thailand has volunteered to ban itself from 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games weightlifting even after the country was embroiled into a string of doping cases, removing a traditional power in the sport from contention. Despite this self-imposed ban, Thailand will host the 2019 World Championships in September in Pattaya. However, no home competitors will take part in it, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said. The decision come after the Thai team underwent eight failed drug tests following the last worlds in November at Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. Doping charges were made against three women who won world titles. Sopita Tanasan, of Thailand (Picture: Associated Press) Among the eight lifters facing bans are Sopita Tanasan, the IWF female weightlifter of the year in 2016 who won the Gold medal at Rio Olympics in 48 kg category. The earlier positives include the 58 kg Rio Olympic champion Sukanya Srisurat, the 55kg winner in Ashgabat who was also suspended for doping in 2011. The others are Thunya Sukcharoen, the 45kg World Championships winner, Chitchanok Pulsabsakul, also banned in 2011, Duanganksnorn Chaidee, a super-heavyweight bronze medallist in Ashgabat, and the only male among the eight, 17-year-old . The 49kg world champion Teerapat ChomchuenChayuttra Pramongkhol and 64kg world bronze medallist Rattanawan Wamalun are also named in the ban. Mirabai had a disappointing outing at the Rio Olympics in 2016. She failed to lift 104 kg in her first clean and jerk attempt. And then couldn't lift 106 kg in the second and third attempts. With renewed vigour, she will be raring to strike the gold in Tokyo 2020. At the Rio Games, Sopita Tanasan lifted 200kg, whereas the silver and bronze medal winner lifted 192 kg and 188 kg respectively, Going by Mirabai's improvements in the next couple of years, the target seems way within her grasp. With around 500 days for the Tokyo Games, India will be weaving renewed hopes for Mirabai to add another feather to the cap.
The specifics of the Doping scandal
All of the doping cases involve at least one substance of the banned adiol type, with some lifters testing positive for multiple drugs. The doping charges bring about a fresh embarrassment for weightlifting, which is under pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The sport has a provisional place on the programme for the 2024 Paris Olympics on condition it cracks down on doping of the athletes. Many weightlifters who competed at the last three Olympics were later tested positive. Russia and China were among the nine countries banned from international competition for a year in 2017 after racking up numerous doping cases. Russia and Bulgaria also missed the 2016 Olympics over doping, and countries with major drug problems will have fewer qualifying place for next year's games in Tokyo. Thailand, though stood by its moral ground, will have to pay the price for withdrawing the weightlifting team from Tokyo Olympics.Weightlifting has offered the country among best prospects of gold medals, having produced five out of Thailand's nine Olympic champions since it first took part in the Helsinki Games in 1952.The Thai Olympic team's Chef de Mission, Thana Chaiprasit, believes, however, the decision is final and he urged all sports associations to warn their athletes to be extra-careful with any supplementary products and medicines they take.