Thai Cyclists Fall Short of Asian Games Gold Despite Efforts
Thai cyclists competed for two gold medals at the 20th Asian Games in Japan but fell short, with Naw Noraseththada reaching the men's keirin semifinals and Jutatip Manipun placing 12th in the women's omnium. Officials praised the athletes' effort while noting accidents and missed opportunities in several events. The cycling federation plans to evaluate performance and improve ahead of future competitions.
In the men's keirin, Naw reached the semifinals but finished 11th, while Jay, who had competed in a sprint bronze medal match the day before, was eliminated in the quarterfinals. The gold medal went to Malaysia's Azizul Hasni Awang, silver to China's Li Zhewei, and bronze to China's Han Xi. In the women's omnium, Jutatip placed 12th. After the events, General Decha Hemaksri said the athletes gave their full effort, noting that sport involves wins and losses depending on timing and opportunity; Naw fought hard to reach the semifinals, and Jay faced a tough challenge after the previous day's sprint. He added that even with good preparation, accidents could cost chances, citing the men's team sprint where a crash by Naw, the final rider, prevented a medal despite strong training. Regarding goals, the BMX racing team aimed for a top-three finish, but Kometh Sukprasert crashed in the final and missed a medal; other events were satisfactory: Aitit Poolarad aimed for top five in the men's individual time trial road and finished sixth, while Petty Officer Female Petchdarint Samrach aimed for top three in the women's individual time trial and placed eighth. In track cycling, the team sprint target was a top-four finish, but Naw crashed as the last rider; the individual sprint aimed for top three, but Jay fell while cornering in the bronze medal race, resulting in a fourth-place finish after a protest by the Thai team manager was overruled by the Hong Kong commissar. The keirin target was to reach the final, but Naw only made it to the quarterfinals. The mountain bike squad achieved its goal of a top-ten finish. General Decha Hemaksri concluded that upon returning to Thailand, staff would evaluate each discipline, address shortcomings, and develop athletes further, emphasizing that the team must continue forward despite obstacles and not lose spirit.
