Chon Buri: Surasit Sangkhapong was yesterday elected unopposed as president of the Southeast Asian Weightlifting Federation.
Surasit Sangkhapong
The 63-year-old is the first Thai to take the position at the three-year-old federation and will be in office for four years.
Compatriot Ruangrit Upalanala was also named the association’s secretary-general.
Uttaradit-born Surasit, former chief of the Government Lottery Office, is reportedly close to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
He was seen standing beside Thaksin during a Muay Thai tournament in Macau in December.
“Their links have nothing to do with the sport,” said an official at the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association of Thailand.
“Surasit has been involved in weightlifting for years.”
The official said his main task was to push for weightlifting to be reinstated at next year’s SEA Games in Singapore.
Weightlifting is not on the initial list of 36 sports at the Singapore Games. The list will be finalised at a meeting next month. Thailand is a powerhouse in the sport, having won several Olympic and Asian Games gold medals.
Reports say it will be difficult for weightlifting to feature at the 2015 SEA Games because Singapore is not good at the sport.
Meanwhile, the Asian Youth and Junior Championships will start today in Bang Saen, Chon Buri.
With 567 participants from 40 countries, the tournament will also serve as the continental qualifying for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.