Thai Cycling Federation Advances Short-Track Development Program, Sends Athletes to Japan Track Cup for World Points
Thailand's cycling federation is sending short-track athletes to Japan's Track Cup in May to earn world ranking points ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and Olympic 2028 qualifying competitions. The team will later train in China before competi
The Thai Cycling Federation is moving forward with its development plan for the national short-track cycling team, sending athletes to compete in the Japan Track Cup in two consecutive rounds to accumulate world ranking points before relocating the team to China for intensive training ahead of the 20th Asian Games and Olympic 2028 qualifying attempts throughout 2026.
General Decha Hemkrasri, Vice President of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), President of the ASEAN Cycling Confederation (ACF), and President of the Thai Cycling Association under Royal Patronage, revealed that the federation plans to prepare short-track cyclists for the 20th Asian Games in Japan while simultaneously competing in events to accumulate points for Olympic 2028 qualification in the United States throughout 2026.
After four months of training and competing in three major events—the 2026 Asian Track Cycling Championships in the Philippines, the 2026 UCI Track World Cup rounds in Hong Kong and Malaysia—Thailand's three short-track cyclists "TJ" Chai Angsuthasawin, "Naew" Noresarath Thada Bunma, and "Makham" Yuenyong Petchrattana have resumed their training immediately upon returning from Malaysia.
"In addition to planned training, the federation will send Noresarath Thada and Chai to the Japan Track Cup in Japan on May 14-17, competing in two preferred events: keirin and sprint," Hemkrasri explained. "These Class 1 competitions offer up to 200 points per event for each championship."
After the Japan competitions, the short-track team will continue training with middle-distance cyclists under "Lieutenant Colonel Bee" Chudathip Maniphon to prepare physically. The next phase involves the national team relocating to Taiyuan, China for 6-8 weeks of training in July and August on the same 250-meter wooden velodrome that will be used for the Asian Games. Athletes must return to Thailand by late August to compete in the Track Asia Cup 2026 on August 28-30, which serves as both world ranking point collection and a pre-Asian Games test. Track cycling at the 20th Asian Games will run September 29-October 2, followed by the UCI Track World Championships 2026 in Shanghai on October 14-18, both critical for securing Olympic 2028 quotas for Thai cyclists.
