Flooding Damages Bangkok Velodrome, Championship Event May Postpone

General Decharth Hemkraisri, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation and head of the Thai Cycling Association, has confirmed that severe flooding from heavy rain in Bangkok has devastated the Hua Mark velodrome. The facility, which serves as the association's headquarters, sustained critical damage to its lower levels, including the bicycle storage area containing training and competition bikes for the national team, spare parts, reserve tires, watt bikes for power measurement testing, and office and broadcasting equipment. The control room for track cycling events was also submerged. Although staff moved bicycles and equipment to higher ground, extensive damage to office equipment, broadcasting apparatus, radios, and championship management systems remains unquantified. Water levels in the velodrome's central area reached chest height, severely damaging the track cycling control room. The association must now assess whether the fifth and final round of the Thai Track Cycling Championship, sponsored by Queen Sirikit, scheduled for October 9-11, can proceed or must be postponed. The total value of damage is still being determined. Separately, Hemkraisri noted that for the 20th Asian Games on September 28, Thai cyclists competing in BMX racing include Gometh Sukprasert, Puttaphum Nakpaen, Chutikanya Kijvanichsathian, and Hathaipetch Jaiswang, with preliminary rounds starting at 9:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. Thailand time) and finals at noon local time (10:00 a.m. Thailand time).