Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    BANGKOK, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's boxing fighters and their boss are under high expectations as the squad is the top hope of the Thai athletes attending the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

    Gen. Taweep Jantararoj, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT), said recently during an interview made by the Bangkok Post that he knows there are high expectations for his fighters to win gold in the Beijing Games.

    "I would be under intense pressure if my boxers were not well-prepared," he said. "Fortunately, my boxers are well-prepared and I feel a bit more relaxed now."

    There will be eight Thai boxers in Beijing and the squad are expected to bring home at least two golds. The boxing team have won gold in every Games since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

    "This is one of my toughest times," said Bussaba Yodbangtoey, president of the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA). "I have never felt this much pressure before."

    She said it is really hard for her athletes to equal the performance of the 2004 team that won two gold and two bronze medals in Athens. "Everyone expects us to repeat that success," she said. "But we know how tough it is to do that."

    Bussaba said she has been trying to find ways to ease pressure for both herself and her athletes.

    "I try not to talk to them too much about their prospects. I also ask them not to read newspapers or watch TV," she said.

    "I have told them to do their best and feel relaxed. They could win gold but they may not be able to perform to their potential if they are under pressure," she said.