Nakapaen Brothers Shine at Asia BMX Racing Championship
Thai brothers Putthaphumi and Phumjai Nakapaen won gold and silver respectively at the Asia BMX Racing Championship in Malaysia, with coach Harvey Krebs noting the team must improve against stronger continental rivals ahead of the Asian Gam
The Nakapaen brothers have made Thai cycling fans proud with excellent results at the 2026 BMX Racing Asia Championship in Nilai, Malaysia. Putthaphumi Nakapaen won gold in the under-23 men's category with a commanding single-moto victory, while his brother Phumjai Nakapaen claimed silver in the junior men's class. Fellow Thai rider Gometh Sukprasert finished fifth in the open men's race after losing momentum when squeezed by a Filipino competitor on the approach to the first corner.
General Decha Mekrasri, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation and president of the Thai Cycling Association, traveled to Malaysia to support the team. He praised Putthaphumi and Phumjai's performances while noting that Gometh showed strong speed in qualifying rounds but lost the race due to tactics in the final. Mekrasri instructed coach Harvey Krebs to refine the team's approach ahead of the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
Coach Harvey Krebs reported overall satisfaction with the team's performance. Gometh actually posted the fastest time in the first moto, beating gold medalist Azuma Nagai of Japan, but the collision during the final cost him a podium finish. Female riders Chutikanya Kijwanichsathian (6th, open women) and Hathaipetch Jaiswang (4th, under-23 women) also competed. Krebs acknowledged that while Thai riders are competitive at the Southeast Asian level, they face challenges against Japan, South Korea, and China at the continental level, and will focus on improvement before the Asian Games.
