Bangkok: Athletics hopes for gold medals from "Bew" at the 2026 Asian Games Meet the Press event; Thailand's target is 5 gold medals. The Sports Photojournalists Association of Thailand organized the 20th Asian Games Meet the Sports Press Conference to announce the readiness of the Thai national team participating in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which will take place from September 19th to October 4th. The event was held in Room 222, Rajamangala National Stadium, Zone E4-E5. The third press conference on August 28th involved six sports associations and was chaired by Dr. Kongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand.
According to Thai News Agency, Dr. Kongsak Yodmani revealed that the SAT is working with the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and various sports associations. This time, there are 46 associations and 43 sports participating - more sports than before, but fewer athletes. Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri has given the principle that he is ready to fully support athletes participating in the Asian Games, but they must adhere to strict rules. Anyone who achieves a good world ranking or meets the qualification criteria will not be disqualified.
'We will use the results and statistics from our participation in the 2026 Asian Games as a benchmark for future competition participation and budget allocation. Last time we won 12 gold medals; this time we hope for 15. It might be difficult because many sports feature Olympic-level athletes, but we believe in our preparation. We've continued our preparation from the 2025 SEA Games, so our athletes are in better physical condition. We're also focusing heavily on sports science, nutrition, and overall sports training. I wish everyone and every association success in the competition, and in the final stages, please be careful to avoid injuries.'
Jirachaya Tanchayngam, Vice President of the Baseball Association of Thailand, stated that at the recent SEA Games, the men's baseball team won a silver medal because a key pitcher was injured and unable to play in the final match against the Philippines. For this year's competition, the association has a quota of 24 players, with 12 training in Thailand and another 12 training in the United States because they are studying there. She added that they are fully prepared. Regarding the last Asian Games, where they finished 7th, she acknowledged that the top baseball teams like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China are all from Asia. Therefore, the association initially aimed for a top 5 finish, but believes anything is possible. If the players are ready and everything goes well, they could potentially reach the semi-finals and have a chance at a medal.
Mr. Wicheth Teepakorn, Vice President of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand and team manager, revealed that the Thai tennis team includes three players ranked in the top 100 in the world: Lalana Thararudee ("Ruangkhao"), Mananchaya Sawangkeaw ("Mai"), and Prachya Isaro ("Nat"), who will lead the team. All three have participated in Grand Slam tournaments. The main opponents are Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In women's singles, "Mai" and "Ruangkhao" are currently confident. In men's doubles, Prachya and Maximus Parapon Jones, the previous bronze medalists, should perform well. In women's doubles, Peangtarn Plipuech ("Earth"), currently ranked 120 in the doubles world, will need to be assessed on who she will partner with. In mixed doubles, Prachya and Earth have a good chance. Overall, the team hopes to bring home medals in tennis. They have a good chance of winning medals in all doubles categories, and the women's singles category also has a strong performance.
Kawin Yanarit, head coach of the Thai national soft tennis team, said that the athletes are training at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Khlong 6. This time, the association has coaches from Japan and South Korea, top nations in the world, to help train the players. Therefore, the players are in excellent physical condition and 100% ready. Having qualified for the women's team and women's singles events, he believes they have a good chance of winning a medal, as the athletes are quite experienced and have competed on major stages. Winning would be a historic achievement for Thai soft tennis, as it's the first time they've won a medal at the Asian Games.
Yotsakrai Pienpanichporn, President of the Softball Association of Thailand, stated that the overall condition of the team is quite good, with no injured players. He mentioned having a skilled Japanese coach who has previously trained Olympic gold medalists in Japan. Since his arrival, the Thai national softball team has seen a significant improvement, particularly in the pitcher position. Approximately half of the team is from the SEA Games, while the other half was personally selected by the Japanese coach after scouting players throughout the country. He also noted that four of the top 15 teams in the world are already competing in the Asian Games. Therefore, based on their joint assessment, Thailand should finish 6th out of 8 participating teams.
General Montol Satchukorn, President of the Badminton Association of Thailand, revealed that Thai athletes have professional tournaments throughout the year, so our athletes are quite well-prepared. Recently, Pornpawee Chochuwong won a bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2026 World Championships, which has greatly boosted morale. Regarding our athletes with injuries, such as Ratchanok Intanon, Dechapol Puavaranukroh, and even Kulavut Vitidsarn (who has a back problem), we believe these shouldn't be a problem and they should be ready for the Asian Games. We expect to win 1-2 medals, with chances in both team and individual events. The men's singles, with Kulavut Vitidsarn, and the women's singles, have strong potential, while the mixed doubles have the best chance. The women's and men's doubles also have the potential to create surprises.
Police Major General Napanwut Liamsanguan, Vice President of the Athletics Association of Thailand, revealed that the training camp in the Czech Republic provided Thai athletes with valuable experience and increased confidence. The sprinter team performed exceptionally well, achieving impressive times. In the 100m and 200m races, there's a strong chance of winning with "Bew" Puripol Boonsorn, who is expected to run under 10 seconds in the 100m race. The main competitors are China and Japan, and there's currently no information on whether there are any naturalized athletes from Central Asia. Overall, we expect at least one gold medal from the short-distance athletics team, likely from Puripol.
At the end, Mr. Wallop Sripaivalya, Secretary-General of the Sports Photojournalists Association of Thailand, gave a concluding statement.
The third Meet the Press event for the 2026 Asian Games revealed the target of winning another gold medal in athletics. Baseball aims for a top 5 finish, tennis is confident of winning a medal, soft tennis hopes to win at least one medal, softball aims for 6th place out of 8 teams, and badminton is confident of winning 1-2 medals. This brings the total number of gold medal targets announced across all 22 sports after the three Meet the Press events for the 2026 Asian Games to 5.
The fourth Meet the Press event for the 20th Asian Games will be held on Monday, August 31st, at 1:00 PM in Meeting Room 222, Rajamangala National Stadium, Zone E4-E5. Ten participating sports associations will announce their readiness: Sepak Takraw, Sailing, Windsurfing, Surfing, Swimming, Volleyball, Cricket, Fencing, Gymnastics, and Sport Climbing.