Sports Associations Demand Deputy PM Address Budget Crisis
Twenty-seven Thai sports associations are demanding Deputy PM Thongsakdi address a budget crisis that has slashed funding by over 1.3 billion baht, crippling athlete development and competition preparations.
Sports associations are demanding action from Deputy Prime Minister Thongsakdi to resolve problems in the sports sector, especially regarding a budget that has been frozen for over a month, with the Thai Olympic Committee having requested a meeting but receiving no response.
Twenty-seven Thai sports associations convened with the Thai Olympic Committee to address a budget allocation crisis from the National Sports Development Fund. The fund has reduced grants to each association by more than 1.3 billion baht this year, severely impacting competition preparations and preventing the development of athletes or domestic qualifying tournaments for national team selection.
Chalita Jantarupeksa, president of the Thai Squash Association and vice secretary of the Olympic Committee, explained that the fund manager announced the policy came from Deputy Prime Minister Thongsakdi Thammasoonsiri, the board chair of the Sports Authority of Thailand. The Olympic Committee has noted that if Thai sports stagnate or athletes perform poorly in the future, the deputy prime minister must bear responsibility for approving this approach.
Jantarupeksa stated that the Olympic Committee has repeatedly tried to schedule a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Thongsakdi to discuss the problems but has received no clear response. The deputy prime minister previously said he was busy in August and would be available in early September, but more than three to four weeks have now passed without confirmation.
The situation has left sports associations feeling abandoned and hopeless, suspecting the current government does not prioritize traditional sports. Many believe the government is more interested in funding mass-participation events like trail running, Spartan races, and HYROX competitions, which receive billions in budget support. Sports associations now want a clear answer on when the deputy prime minister will meet with the Olympic Committee, and if the government intends to focus on mass-participation events rather than elite athlete development, they want that stated plainly so they can plan accordingly with their reduced budgets.
