Thailand Attracts Record 20 Teams for Track Asia Cup 2026
Thailand will host the Track Asia Cup 2026 in August with record participation of 20 teams from across Asia, offering crucial world ranking points for qualification to October's UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai.
General Decha Hemkrasri, vice president of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), president of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and president of the Thai Cycling Association, revealed that the Track Asia Cup 2026—scheduled for August 28-30, 2026, at the Velodrome in Bangkok—has attracted record participation. Twenty teams have registered so far, comprising 10 national teams (Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, Macau, Indonesia, Philippines, India, and Saudi Arabia) and 8 club teams from abroad (including teams from Taiwan, South Korea, China, and the Philippines), plus two host teams representing Thailand and the Velodrome. Final registration could reach 25 teams.
The competition is critical for accumulating world ranking points and qualifying for the 2026 UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai (October 14-18), where Thailand has already been confirmed eligible to compete in men's team sprint, keirin, sprint, and 1km time trial events. The Thai team sprint squad—featuring TJ, Naeo, and Maakham—currently ranks 15th globally and 5th in Asia, securing automatic qualification. Other events must earn sufficient points at Track Asia Cup 2026 to qualify, as UCI will announce final quotas on September 4.
General Decha noted that the Thai team sprint riders are favored for qualification, but keirin, sprint, and time trial competitors must maximize points at this final continental competition of the season. He appealed for financial support from the Sports Authority of Thailand and the National Sports Development Fund to enable proper preparation and international competition participation for Thai cyclists pursuing world-stage competition.
