Olympic bronze brings joy to Pensiri

Olympic bronze brings joy to Pensiri

Cash rewards to follow arrival of 2008 medal

above  Pensiri Laosirikul shows her 2008 Olympic bronze medal at a ceremony at a Bangkok hotel yesterday. PR
above  Pensiri Laosirikul shows her 2008 Olympic bronze medal at a ceremony at a Bangkok hotel yesterday. PR

Weightlifter Pensiri Laosirikul finally received her long-awaited bronze medal from the 2008 Olympics yesterday.

One of the favourites at the Games, Pensiri, now 33, finished fifth in the women's 48kg in Beijing.

She was promoted to third after Chen Xiexia of China, the original champion, and Turkey's Sibel Ozkan, runner-up at the time, tested positive for banned drugs and were stripped of their medals.

Pensiri received the bronze medal from International Olympic Committee (IOC) members Nat Indrapana and Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul at a ceremony at a Bangkok hotel yesterday.

The event was also attended by some of the country's top sporting officials including Charouck Arirachakaran, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT), and Sakol Wannapong, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).

"I was informally informed that I have been promoted to become bronze medallist last year. At first I thought it was not real. But when this was officially confirmed I felt happy and surprised. However, I might have been happier if I had won the medal nine years ago," Pensiri said.

She said the medal has erased memories of an unlucky chapter in her life.

"Nine years ago, I was unlucky -- I did not win an Olympic medal and [after the Games] the dormitory in Chiang Mai where I stayed was hit by a fire. My two dogs were killed and I lost my assets. Now I am now lucky."

As an Olympic bronze medallist, Pensiri will receive four million baht in bonus from the National Sports Development Fund, and a monthly salary of 8,000 baht for 20 years for a total of 1.92 million baht from the NOCT.

Pensiri, who is expecting her second child in May, is a trainee teacher in Nakhon Si Thammarat. She called on concerned parties to help her become a full-time teacher.

Charouck said: "This is an important day for a small woman who waited for nine years."

Patama said using banned substances was a serious offence in sports and urged Thai athletes to stay away from doping.

In October, Wandee Kameaim, another Thai weightlifter, also received a bronze from the 2008 Olympics after a Russian medallist in the women's 58kg division tested positive.

Wandee, now a navy lieutenant and a coach, finished fourth in Beijing.

However, she was promoted to third after second-placed Marina Shainova was found to have used banned substances.

Weightlifting is Thailand's most successful sports at the Olympics with five gold, two silver and seven bronze medals. Boxing is second with four gold, four silver and six bronze medals.

At the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, California, the Thai team are enjoying a fine run, having won five gold, seven silver and two bronze medals, and could claim more before the event ends tomorrow morning (Thai time).

Meanwhile, Chile's Arley Mendez returned from more than four years of international sporting exile to defeat Iran's Olympic champion Kianoush Rostami in the men's 85kg on Sunday.

Mendez did not return to his native Cuba after a junior event in Santiago in 2013 and was granted citizenship by Chile this year.

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