Thailand Protests Disqualified in Men's 4x100m Relay at Asian Games
Thailand's protest in the men's 4x100m relay at the Asian Games was rejected for being filed outside the 30-minute deadline, leaving the race result unchanged despite Japan's successful challenge against China.
Assoc. Prof. Pimol Srivikrom, president of the Thailand Olympic Committee, discussed the overall performance of Thai athletes at the 2026 Asian Games after the competition reached the halfway mark, believing there remains an opportunity to achieve the set targets.
Pimol also addressed an incident following the men's 4×100 metre relay final the previous night, which saw a protest that created confusion regarding medal awards.
Pimol explained that the dispute originated when Japan's team protested against China regarding the baton exchange, suspecting a potential step over the line or infringement. Thailand subsequently filed a protest as well, but it was rejected because it was submitted beyond the 30-minute time limit. Ultimately, the race result was not changed.
"According to reports I received, Japan's team protested against China, saying there was an infringement during the baton handover or the runner crossed the line. We then filed our own protest too, but it did not succeed because we submitted it after the 30-minute window had already passed. In the end, they did not change the result, so the competition outcome remained the same."
Regarding Thailand's remaining chances, Pimol believes there are still gold medals to be won in several sports, particularly sepak takraw, taekwondo, jujitsu, badminton, and boxing, along with other events still to be contested, with a realistic target of reaching 15 gold medals overall.
