Thai Para Squad Departs for Japan's 2026 Asian Para Games
The Thai Paralympic team has flown to Nagoya, Japan, for the 2026 Asian Para Games, targeting at least 27 gold medals after winning the same number in the previous edition. The Blind Sports Association of Thailand aims to secure three or more golds, with strong chances in athletics and blind football. Officials say the chartered flights will help athletes stay together and prepare efficiently for competition.
The Thai Paralympic contingent, comprising 265 athletes and 147 officials (412 people total), left Suvarnabhumi Airport on October 11, 2025, aboard two Thai Airways charter flights TG 8092 and TG 8094 bound for Nagoya. The delegation includes Paralympic gold medalist Waeo Sunsanee Jana (three golds from Paris 2024), Asian Para Games champion Rung Rangroj Thai-niyom, and medalists Kong Phongsakorn Paeyo and Beam Chaiwat Ratana. Sports Authority of Thailand governor Pradporn Samanmit said the charter was arranged so athletes could travel together, undergo classification checks simultaneously, and have their equipment arrive on time for training. He noted the team’s strong record—27 golds at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games, placing seventh—and expressed confidence they will match or exceed that tally without added pressure. The Blind Sports Association of Thailand is sending 35 athletes across six disciplines: athletics (8), blind football (8), cycling (3), goalball (12), judo (2) and swimming (2). Association adviser Worakorn Krasertanan said the goal is at least three gold medals, with hopes resting on sprinter Mos Jakarin Damunee, who holds Asian records in the 100 m and 400 m and won two golds last time, and on the blind football team, currently ranked sixth worldwide and targeting a final‑place finish. Goalball teams also stand a chance, with the men’s side ranked third in Asia and the women’s fourth.
