Olympic Champion Urges Thai Boxers: Stay Calm, Medals Will Follow
Olympic gold medalist Somjit Jongjohor urged Thai boxers competing at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan to avoid pressure and trust their preparation, saying medals will naturally follow with proper training and support.
Somjit Jongjohor, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Asian Games champion, has urged younger Thai boxers not to put pressure on themselves, saying good preparation will naturally bring medals.
The 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan officially opens September 19, with some sports already underway. Amateur boxing remains a top medal hope for Thailand, though the last Asian Games boxing medal for Thailand came from Wuttichai Masuk in the men's 64kg category in 2014 in South Korea.
Somjit, an Olympic gold medalist from Beijing 2008 and two-time Asian Games champion, is encouraging the younger generation of Thai boxers for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. He believes the Thai boxing team will return with medals.
"In every sport and every major games, whether it's SEA Games or Asian Games, we want our medal standards to meet or exceed previous levels," Somjit said. "This time we're targeting 18 gold medals, but I think we should get more than that—perhaps 1 or 2 extra medals in boxing. Football coach Kiatsakdi Senamuang says reaching the semi-finals would be a success, while for boxing, I believe each weight class has two competitive contenders."
He added: "This generation includes new blood, especially my own grandson in the 80kg category. Is it difficult? Yes, but every weight class still has a chance. The biggest challenge is the judging situation—there are no Thai referees at this Asian Games, which is another variable that could affect our medal chances."
Somjit emphasized: "I want to tell the younger generation: be lucky, do your best, don't pressure yourself, and show your best performance on the ring—success will follow. If we prepare well, I believe everyone is 100 percent ready, because excelling in sports requires 100 percent training. What comes next is sports science."
He explained that his Olympic success came from support across the board: "I couldn't achieve Olympic gold alone. It took support from the federation, my coaches, sports science—everything combined. The federation must be strong to back us. The coaches must coach us properly. Sports science is crucial."
"I believe the younger generation has prepared well. The key is not to pressure themselves," Somjit concluded. "When everything is ready, the only thing left is how well they perform in the ring. If they do their best, I'm confident medals will come back for sure."
