Thai Table Tennis Rising Star Norton Advances at Asian Games
Thailand's 16-year-old table tennis prospect Norton Thitiphat advanced past Pakistan's Muhammad Khan at the 2026 Asian Games and will next face world number one Wang Chuqin of China.
Norton Thitiphat Preechiayan, Thailand's table tennis representative, advanced from the opening round of the 2026 Asian Games men's singles to face world number one Wang Chuqin. At just 16 years old, Norton has made a name for himself by defeating Lin Shudong—the world number 8 and a former world number one from China—in the team competition. His strong form continued as he defeated Pakistan's Muhammad Khan decisively in four straight games with scores of 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, and 11-3. In the next round, Norton will face Wang Chuqin of China, the defending Asian Games champion from 2022 and a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Paris 2024 in team and mixed doubles events. After the match, Norton said he played well and achieved his target. He came to the Asian Games to gain new experience and intends to compete in the Olympics in the future with the goal of winning medals.
