Thai Men's Takraw Team Wins Gold at Asian Games 2026
Thailand's men's takraw team defeated Malaysia 2-0 to win gold at the 2026 Asian Games, securing their seventh consecutive singles championship after bouncing back from an earlier loss.
Thailand's men's takraw singles team acknowledged the pressure before defeating Malaysia to claim the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, and dedicated the medal to the Thai people. The team redeemed themselves after an earlier setback by beating their longtime rivals Malaysia 2-0 with set scores of 15-9 and 15-8, securing their seventh consecutive Asian Games singles championship title, winning in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022, with a break only in 2018 when Thailand did not field a team according to regulations. After the match, server Krissanapong Nonthakote said, "Thank you. We dedicate this gold medal to all Thai people. After our team fell short, there was pressure on us, but we did our homework to bring home this medal." When asked what the team discussed before the match, Krissanapong explained, "We tried to look at the mistakes from our previous match and apply them to fix the game to face them today, and we managed to correct them." Wutinan Khamsaenah, competing in his first Asian Games and moved to tears after winning the championship, said, "I feel relieved because this is my first Asian Games and I'm the youngest. Getting this opportunity felt a bit pressuring, but my senior teammates supported me to achieve this medal."
