Victory parade for Rio athletes today

Victory parade for Rio athletes today

PM to host reception,reward Thai medallists

Successful Thai weightlifters, from left, silver medallist Pimsiri Sirikaew, champions Sukanya Srisurat and Sopita Tanasan, and bronze winner Sinphet Kruaithong. Patipat Janthong
Successful Thai weightlifters, from left, silver medallist Pimsiri Sirikaew, champions Sukanya Srisurat and Sopita Tanasan, and bronze winner Sinphet Kruaithong. Patipat Janthong

A big turnout is expected when the country's 54 Olympians have an official victory parade through the streets of Bangkok today to mark their achievements at the 2016 Rio Games.

The parade will be followed by a reception by the government.

With representatives in 17 sports, Thailand took home two gold, two silver and an equal number of bronze medals. These were all contributed by weightlifters and taekwondo fighters.

The gold medals were captured by weightlifters Sopita Tanasan and Sukanya Srisurat.

Weightlifter Pimsiri Sirikaew and taekwondo fighter Tawin Harnprab claimed the silver medals, while bronze medals were picked up by weightlifter Sinphet Kruaithong and Panipak Wongpattanakit in taekwondo.

The victory parade to honour the Thai athletes who competed at the 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio will start from Indoor Stadium in Hua Mark at 3pm today and end at Government House.

The Thai sports fans will be able to have a closer glimpse of their heroes at the Victory Monument and Royal Turf Club.

The reception, to be held at Government House at 5.30pm, will be presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Today, the Thai Rio Games medallists will also be rewarded with cash incentives from the National Sports Development Funds.

Under a newly-approved scheme paving the way for a 20 percent increase, a gold winner gets 12 million baht, a silver medallist earns 7.2 million baht and a bronze medallist 4.8 million baht. Half of these sums will be handed out in cash while the rest will be paid in installments over four years.

The two successful associations -- the Thailand Amateur Weightlifting Association and Taekwondo Association of Thailand -- will earn 30 percent and coaches 20 percent of the cash incentives received by their athletes.

As for the remaining 48 athletes who failed to win any medal, they will receive 100,000 baht each.

All medallists are also expected to receive more bonuses from private companies.

The 18-year-old Tawin, who is likely to earn at least 12 million baht, said he plans to spend the money on building his taekwondo academy in his hometown of Pathum Thani.

Thailand finished 35th in the overall medal tally, improving on their 57th place in London in 2012 where they had failed to win any gold medal for the first time since Atlanta 1996.

Thailand also remained the best performers among the Asean countries but both Vietnam and Singapore recorded improvements, winning their first-ever Olympic gold medals at the Games.

INDONESIA GREETS CHAMPS

Indonesian Olympic gold medal winners Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir were given a hero's welcome on Tuesday by hundreds of flag-waving fans as the badminton champions returned home from Rio de Janeiro.

They travelled through the capital in an open-top, double-decker bus. bangkok post/afp

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