Thailand Claims Second Place at Asian Beach Games with 10 Gold Medals – Sports Authority Eyes Asian Games Preparation
Thailand claimed 10 gold medals to finish second at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, falling short of its 15-medal target but providing valuable preparation data for the 2025 Asian Games in Nagoya.
Thailand's athletic delegation finished second at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya 2026, claiming 10 gold medals. Dr. Kongsakdi Yodmani, director of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), is satisfied with the result despite missing the 15 gold medal target, and is preparing to use the performance data and athlete statistics to strengthen the team for the upcoming Asian Games.
Dr. Kongsakdi Yodmani revealed that Thailand's athletes earned 10 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 9 bronze medals at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, finishing second overall. While falling short of the initial 15 gold medal goal, the director considers the second-place finish commendable, as the team had aimed for a top-3 position before competition began.
The SAT chief praised performance across multiple sports including beach athletics, takraw, sailing (windsurfing and kiteboarding), dragon boat racing, and beach volleyball, all of which won gold medals. He acknowledged that some sports earning silver and bronze medals showed potential for improvement, with lessons to be carried forward. Overall, he believes the results can serve as a foundation for the 20th Asian Games scheduled for September 19 to October 4, 2025, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
"This time, we're not focused solely on medal counts," Dr. Kongsakdi stated. "Above all, our athletes gained valuable experience and tested their physical strength. Some sports may have familiar names, but the rules and competition formats differ, providing Thai athletes with an opportunity to compete against leading Asian nations. Many beach games sports use the same athlete pools as the Asian Games, so continuous training will continue until the Asian Games. The SAT will analyze all the performance data and statistics from the Asian Beach Games to further strengthen Thailand's athletic team."
The 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya concluded on April 30, 2025, after running from April 22-30. Thailand's 176 athletes competed across all 14 sports, earning 10 gold, 9 silver, and 9 bronze medals for second place overall. Host nation China topped the medal count with 24 gold, 18 silver, and 13 bronze medals, while Iran placed third with 9 gold and 1 silver.
Thailand's 28 total medals came from beach athletics (3 gold, 1 silver), takraw (3 gold), sailing (2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), dragon boat racing (1 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), beach volleyball (1 gold, 1 bronze), 3×3 basketball (1 silver, 1 bronze), beach handball (2 bronze), water polo (1 bronze), and jujitsu (1 bronze).
The 7th Asian Beach Games will be held in Cebu, Philippines, in 2028.
