Thai Sprint Team Ranked 15th Globally – 'Sethabhumirk' Sends Track Cyclists to China for Asian Games Preparation
Thailand's sprint cycling team ranked 15th globally and 4th in Asia will train in Tianjin, China ahead of September's Asian Games in preparation for Olympic qualification efforts.
Thailand's sprint cycling team has achieved 15th place in world rankings and 4th in Asia, with plans underway to send the Asian Games roster to Tianjin, China for a training camp. General Decha Hemakrasri, president of the Cycling Association of Thailand, announced that the national short-track cycling team competed in two consecutive Japan Track Cup events on May 14-17, with riders Jai Angsudasavitya ("TJ") and Norsatida Bunyama ("Naew") competing in keirin and individual sprint categories. Jai advanced to the semifinals in both keirin events while Norsatida reached the semifinals in Japan Track Cup 1. Both riders achieved times under 10 seconds in the 200-meter time trial sprint but fell short of advancing further, though Jai progressed to the final eight in Japan Track Cup 2's sprint event. The performances allowed both to increase their world ranking points—Jai gained 390 points to reach 45th place globally with 1,817 total points, while Norsatida earned 238 points to climb from 104th to 36th place. Beyond these two, the sprint team also includes Yunyong Petcharat ("Makham"), a key member considered for the 2028 Olympic Games. The team now ranks 15th globally and 4th in Asia, with Japan at 8th, Kazakhstan at 10th, and China at 12th. The association plans two-phase training camps in Tianjin—the first from June 20 to August 20, returning for the Track Asia Cup 2026 international competition at Hua Mak Velodrome on August 28-30, which includes world ranking points for 2028 Olympic selection, followed by the second phase from September 1-20 before returning for the Asian Games. The track cycling competition will run from September 29 to October 2. Athletes selected for the China training camp include Jai Angsudasavitya, Norsatida Bunyama, Yunyong Petcharat, and First Lieutenant Chutathip Monipun ("Phaluanbee"), who will compete in the omnium event, with other athletes still under consideration due to budget constraints.
