Thai Sprinter Puripol Wins Asian Games MVP Award
Thai sprinter Buu Puripol Bunson has been named the men’s MVP at the 20th Asian Games after winning gold in the 100 m and 200 m and setting Games records. He will receive the award and a US $25,000 prize at the closing ceremony on 4 October, with the Olympic Council of Asia covering his travel expenses. Puripol is the first athlete from outside China, South Korea, or Japan to earn the honour.
Buu Puripol Bunson, the gold‑medal winner in the 100‑metre and 200‑metre sprints at the Asian Games, has been chosen as the men’s MVP for the 20th Asian Games. The award will be presented at the closing ceremony on 4 October by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which also gives a women’s MVP award each edition. Puripol broke the Asian Games records in both the 100 m and 200 m, his 200‑m time of 19.88 seconds matching the Asian record, and he added a silver medal in the mixed 4×100 m relay. The women’s MVP has not yet been announced because the OCA will notify each national Olympic committee directly.
The formal award ceremony will take place on 4 October. The OCA will cover Puripol’s expenses to return and attend, although he has only just learned of the honour and the Athletics Association is coordinating his travel. If he cannot make it, a representative will accept the award on his behalf. The prize includes US $25,000 (about 830,000 baht). Puripol is the first athlete not from China, South Korea, or Japan to win the Asian Games MVP.
The MVP award was first given in 1998 when Thailand hosted the Games, and a single award was presented until the 2022 edition, when it was split by gender. Past winners include: 1998 – Koji Ito (athletics, Japan); 2002 – Kosuke Kitajima (swimming, Japan); 2006 – Park Tae‑won (swimming, South Korea); 2010 – Lin Dan (badminton, China); 2014 – Kosuke Hagino (swimming, Japan); 2018 – Rikako Ikee (swimming, Japan); 2022 – men’s Qin Haiyang (swimming, China) and women’s Zhang Yufei (swimming, China).
