ACC Approves Thailand's Inaugural Asian Balance Bike Championship for Children
Thailand will host the inaugural Asian Balance Bike 2026 championship in June at Bangkok's Fashion Island, marking the first continental-level competition for children's balance bikes with participants expected from across Asia.
The Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) has granted Thailand the honor of hosting the inaugural Asian Balance Bike 2026 championship, marking the first continental-level competition for children's balance bikes in history.
General Decha Hemkaset, chairman of the Thai Cycling Sports Federation, announced that the federation received approval from the ACC to organize this prestigious event aimed at promoting children and youth participation in cycling sports and developing future champions. The federation coordinated closely with ACC President Dato Amachit Singh Gill to finalize regulations, competition formats, age categories, dates, and venue details.
The Asian Balance Bike 2026 competition will be held June 6-7 at Island Hall, Level 3 of Fashion Island shopping mall. June 6 will feature the Asian championship for youth riders representing ACC member nations, while June 7 will feature an open competition allowing young cyclists who missed national team selection to experience the international atmosphere and elevated competition level.
According to the finalized framework, the championship will include 16 total categories covering age groups from under 2 years through 8-11 years, with separate divisions for boys and girls. Age eligibility is determined by birth year, with each nation able to enter up to 10 athletes per age category. Competitions will be held on a circuit track course not exceeding 300 meters in racing format. Multiple ACC member nations have already expressed interest in participating, including Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and various ASEAN countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, as well as South Asian nations like India and Pakistan.
Regarding Thai team athlete selection, General Decha outlined the criteria: Athletes in the 3-7 year categories must have competed in at least four rounds of the 2568 (2025) National Children's Balance Bike Championship with top-3 cumulative scores in their respective categories. Younger athletes under 2 and 2-year-olds will be selected from the first round of the 2569 (2026) National Championship in Phichit, with 10 athletes per category. The 8-11 age group will be selected from top finishers in specified categories from both the 2568 national championship standings and the 2569 national championship first round. Selected athletes' names will be announced through the Thai Cycling Federation website at www.thaicycling.or.th.
