Dr. Sirichet Criticizes Sports Authority for Misusing Budget, Prioritizing Events over Youth Development

Dr. Sirichet Punthipayanon, a sports science professor at Srinakharinwirot University, has publicly criticized the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) for its budget allocation strategy. In a detailed Facebook post, he highlighted that the organization is spending 1,419 million baht on events like SEA Games, Moto GP, trail runs, and festivals, while only allocating 341 million baht to youth development, sports science, and national training centers. He argued that the agency is acting more like an event organizer than a sports development institution, urging them to redirect at least 50% of event budgets towards athlete development and sports science.