Thai Women's Volleyball Returns Home With Bronze, Eyes 2028 Olympics
Thailand's women's volleyball team won bronze at the Asian Games and secured an Olympic qualifying spot for the first time in the nation's history. The squad will spend the next 20 months preparing for the 2028 Olympics.
Thailand's women's volleyball team has returned home after winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Japan on September 23. Head coach Kiarttiphong Ratchatakrainkai led the team back to Thailand following the tournament. The coach said the team played over 30 matches this year, with athletes giving their full physical and mental effort. Although they fell short of gold, the team successfully achieved two major goals: winning the Asian championship and securing an Olympic qualifying ticket for the first time in Thai volleyball history. From this point forward, the coach outlined a 20-month preparation plan to get the squad match-ready. The team will not reconvene for approximately six months, during which time he urged players to maintain their physical condition before meeting again mid-year. He expressed gratitude to all supporters for their backing.
Player Phorn Phormpan Koitprachai said this was likely her final Asian Games appearance. She noted that in the next four years, her career direction may change, possibly moving into coaching or staff roles. However, she reflected that playing in three Asian Games and winning medals each time was a significant achievement.
