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One of the most popular sports in Thailand in addition to Muay Thai, football, badminton, and tennis is weightlifting. In previous years, the country has brought home hundreds of medals from Olympic weightlifting across different weight classes for clean and jerk lift and snatch lift. In Thailand, national records are maintained by the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA).
Weightlifting in Thailand
The sport of weightlifting involves lifting all the weight possible in one go. The bar will have differently weighted discs that dictate the final amount of weight a weightlifter can lift. Since 1891, several weightlifting world championship had been hosted by the International Weightlifting Federation.
In Thailand, weightlifting is such a huge sport that most of the athletes are forced to take steroids to increase their strength and stamina. Earlier this year, eight members of Thailand’s weightlifting team tested positive during the 2018 IWF World Championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This includes three women weightlifters who won gold medals in the event. Two of the eight weightlifters are also 2016 Olympic champions.
As a result, Thailand, who will remain as host for the World Championship, banned itself from joining any weightlifting events including the 2019 IWF World Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Major Weightlifting Competitions
If you are keen on betting on weightlifting, you should be aware of the major weightlifting events to watch. This way, you will have an idea of what to bet on and who to place your wager.
World Olympics
World Olympics is one of the most important sporting events in history, not only for weightlifting but for most major sports. The Olympics is one of the few events that brings together a confluence of different athletes around the world.
Weightlifting was introduced in the Summer Olympics in 1896 held in Athens, Greece. Since then, it has been one of the most followed sports in the world and the most profitable one to bet on. From its humble beginnings in the Olympics, weightlifting now has several major events where the strongest and mightiest meet.
In the Olympics, athletes compete in multiple categories and weights. As of 2016, Thailand ranks 14th in the total tally of medals from the Olympics.
American Open Series
Another major weightlifting event is the American Open Series. However, this is mostly centered in America and the athletes often have to join multiple competitions to join the series.
USA Powerlifting
USA Powerlifting is America’s biggest powerlifting events. Many athletes make it their goal to join the event to test their limits.
World Weightlifting Championship
This event is dedicated solely to weightlifters. The event is organised by the International Weightlifting Federation, who first started the competition in March 1891. Athletes compete in 20 different weight categories, 10 for each gender.
- Men Categories: 55 kg, 61 kg, 67 kg, 73 kg, 81 kg, 89 kg, 96 kg, 102 kg, 109 kg and +109 kg.
- Women Categories: 45 kg, 49 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 76 kg, 81 kg, 87 kg and +87 kg.
As of the 2018 World Weightlifting Championship, Thailand ranks 20th with 40 medals.
Weightlifting Events
Whilst several competitions have different techniques and lift categories, only two are classified as Olympic lifts: Clean and Jerk and the Snatch.
Snatch
This weightlifting event involves the weightlifter getting the bar overhead in one motion. No other body part must touch the ground whilst the bar is lifted off. The athlete can bend the knees or split the legs during the lifting process but once the bar is overhead, he or she can no longer move. They must remain motionless whilst the arms and legs are extended and the bar and body must be kept in a straight line. Once this is achieved and maintained, the referees will signal a successful lift.
Clean and Jerk
The clean and jerk involve two parts. The first part is the “clean,” wherein the weight is lifted off from the ground to the shoulder in one swift motion. Like in the snatch, the athlete is allowed to bend and split the knees during the lifting process.
The second part of the lift is the jerk. This is when the athlete will bend the knees while extending the arms upward simultaneously. The bar must be held overhead until referees give the signal for a successful lift.
Betting on Weightlifting in Thailand
Weightlifting is a sport that is extremely popular among gamblers around the world. Bets of all kinds are commonly placed in major world sporting events such as the Olympics and the IWF World Championships.
Different types of bets are possible for weightlifting. This includes:
Bet the Winner
Bettors must choose the overall winner the championship or tournament. For its ease, this is the most common type of bet chosen by bettors.
Bet H2H
This betting type allows the bettor to choose which among the weightlifters will finish with the highest score in the table. In choosing the winner, bettors must see who among the athletes have the best overall health condition and better performance in previous competitions.
Top Three (3) Bet
Betting on the top 3 is one of weightlifting’s most confusing and ambiguous bets. In this type of bet, the bettor must choose who among the athletes will be included in the top 3. Commonly, the bets will win for as long the bettor gets the top 3 regardless of their ranking.
Like in most sports betting websites, the odds of an athlete will always depend on their previous performance and their popularity. Those expected to win will always win less money but the underdog bets will always pay more if they win.
Betting on weightlifting comes down to familiarity. Bettors who are familiar with the athletes will know if they are worth putting their money on. Weightlifting enthusiasts often follow the athletes to know their physical condition and overall mental state. Since weightlifting requires physical strength and mental preparedness, these factors are important things to consider when betting on weightlifting.
Another important thing to note about weightlifters is their weight class. You have to find out if they recently changed weight class. Losing or gaining weight to transfer weight class will definitely affect their overall performance. It will be beneficial to check how long it took them to reach their current weight.
