Thai equestrian eventers end 28-year wait for Asian Games team gold

Thailand’s equestrian eventing team won the country’s fifth gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Tuesday, while the women’s volleyball team added a bronze later the same day.

The Thai eventing team, comprising Korntawat Samran, Maj Gen Supap Khaw-Ngam, Woraphat Sittiju and Weerapat Pitakanonda, scored a combined 109.90 points to finish first in the team competition on September 22.

The victory gave Thailand its fifth gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The team gold marked Thailand’s first Asian Games equestrian eventing team title in 28 years, following the country’s previous triumph at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.

Woraphat also won the silver medal in the individual eventing competition with a score of 30.10 points. China’s Tian Hua won the gold medal, while Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa took bronze.

Also on Tuesday, Thailand’s women’s volleyball team defeated South Korea 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-23) in the bronze-medal match at Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture.

Thailand reached the bronze-medal match after losing 2-3 to China in a five-set semifinal on Monday.

The bronze was Thailand’s fourth consecutive Asian Games women’s volleyball medal, following bronze in 2014, silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.

As of September 23, Thailand was fifth in the medal standings with five golds, three silvers and one bronze.