Thai Cyclist Jay Advances to Asian Games Sprint Quarterfinals

The track cycling event at the 20th Asian Games held at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka, Japan on September 30 featured the men's sprint, with two Thai cyclists competing: 'TJ' Jay Angkunsathasawithee and 'Nae' JT Norrasetsatdha Boonma. Also present to cheer the athletes were 'General Mek' General Decha Khemkrisri, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), president of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and the president of the Thai Cycling Association under Royal Patronage. In the qualifying time trial, Jay posted the fifth‑fastest time while Norrasetsatdha recorded 16th, allowing both to advance. In the first knockout round Jay faced Je Seok‑oh of South Korea and won, moving to the second round where he met Shi Feng Kang of Taiwan and prevailed again, reaching the quarterfinals (the final eight). Jay will next face Chinese cyclist Han Si on October 1 in a best‑of‑three showdown. Meanwhile, Norrasetsatdha lost his first match to Japanese rider Kaiya Ota, who had topped the qualifying, and was sent to the repechage where he faced Malaysian Sahrom Muhammad Shah Firdaus but could not match the Malaysian’s speed and was eliminated. After the race Jay said he was delighted to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in an Asian Games sprint event. He expressed confidence that he can compete against his Chinese opponent and will strive to win a medal for Thailand. He also offered encouragement to fellow Thais coping with floods, asking cycling fans to keep cheering and supporting him. The track cycling programme at the 20th Asian Games on October 1 includes two Thai gold‑medal hopes: Petty Officer First Class Worawat Paethok in the men’s omnium and Jay Angkunsathasawithee in the men’s sprint, both starting at 10:00 local time (08:00 Thailand time).