Thai athletes’ Asian Games performances exceed expectations
Thailand’s performance at the recently concluded Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games was beyond expectations, winning 18 gold medals and finishing seventh in the medal standings, the governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) said.
Proadpran Samanmit said Thailand’s athletes performed well in both events in which medals had been expected and those in which they were not.
The SAT and national sports associations had set a target of at least 15 gold medals, but Thailand won 18, Proadpran said, describing the result as highly satisfactory.
Among the standout performers were sprinter Puripol Boonson, who won gold in both the men’s 100m and 200m and broke Asian Games records in both events. He was also named the men’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Games.
Badminton player Kunlavut Vitidsarn made history by winning Thailand’s first Asian Games gold medal in the men’s singles, while sailor Sophia Gral Montgomery won gold in the ILCA 6 event and secured a quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“The 18 gold medals won by the Thai team at these Asian Games were all of high quality. Every medal and every competition also helped bring joy to Thai sports fans at a time when many parts of the country are struggling with flooding,” Proadpran said.
The SAT has already drawn up plans to prepare Thai athletes for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, she said.
The 20th Asian Games were held in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19th to October 4th. Thailand sent 694 athletes to compete in 307 events across 43 sports.
Thailand finished with 18 gold, 13 silver and 21 bronze medals, making it the top-performing Southeast Asian nation and exceeding its target of 15 gold medals.
Thai athletes broke records in 22 of the 69 events in which records were set, while their performances improved on previous records in another 28 events.
Thailand’s 18 gold medals came from track and field (3), teqball (3), sepak takraw (2), sailing (2), badminton (1), beach volleyball (1), boxing (1), equestrian (1), esports (1), jujitsu (1), mixed martial arts (1) and taekwondo (1).