Thai track cyclists have achieved outstanding results, moving up the world rankings as they prepare to compete in the Track World Cup to collect points for Olympic qualification.
Thai track cycling star Jai Angsuthasawit, a short-distance rider, has jumped significantly in the world rankings from 80th to 46th after his performance at the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championships in the Philippines in March. Fellow riders Norasettha Da Bunma and Yuenyong Petchrat have also improved their world rankings, helping Thailand move up from 36th to 20th globally. 'Sergeant Major Muek' has ordered the team to push forward, planning to send three cyclists to the 2026 Track Cycling World Cup rounds 2 in Hong Kong and 3 in Malaysia to accumulate as many points as possible, aiming to secure qualification spots for the 2028 Olympic Games in the United States.
'Sergeant Major Muek,' General Decha Hemkrasri, Vice President of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC), President of the ASEAN Cycling Federation (ACF), and President of the Cycling Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage, revealed that the International Cycling Union (UCI) released world rankings for each discipline. Thai national short-distance track cyclists received good news as their rankings jumped significantly following satisfactory performances at the 2026 Asian Track Cycling Championships held at the velodrome in Tagaytay City, Philippines, from 25-31 March.
General Decha stated that the current world ranking of the Thai national short-distance track team has risen from 36th to 20th, climbing 16 places. Individually, 'TJ' Jai Angsuthasawit reached the keirin final and placed 6th in the individual sprint, boosting his personal ranking by 34 places from 80th to 46th with a total of 1,330 points. Norasettha Da Bunma advanced 16 places to 138th, and Yuenyong Petchrat improved by 4 places to 374th in the world rankings.
"The performances of the three Thai national cyclists at the 2026 Asian Track Cycling Championships met our expectations. Compared to the 2025 championships in Malaysia, events such as the team sprint, keirin, and individual sprint showed improvements in both results and records. Notably, Norasettha Da set a new Thai record in the 1 km time trial with a time of 1:02.083. Considering their limited training time, these three cyclists trained at the Huamak velodrome, an indoor track measuring 333.33 meters per lap, while the Asian Championships took place on a 250-meter indoor velodrome where they had only two days to practice before the competition," General Decha explained.
General Decha added that the Thai national short-distance track cyclists are scheduled to compete in major upcoming events: the 2026 Track Cycling World Cup Round 2 in Hong Kong from 17-19 April and Round 3 at the Nilai Velodrome in Malaysia from 24-26 April. Their goal is to earn as many world ranking points as possible, both for the country and individually, to qualify Thai cyclists for the 2026 UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai, China, from 14-18 October 2026. This championship is crucial for accumulating points to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States.
"Regarding World Cup points, the UCI allocates higher points than continental championships. For individual events, a World Cup event winner earns 800 points, while a continental champion earns 600 points. For team events, continental champions receive 900 points, and World Cup champions get 1,200 points. Currently, the Thai national team has a chance to move into the world top 15 in the country rankings if the cyclists maintain consistent performance. Individually, Jai is expected to break into the top 30, which is sufficient for qualifying for the World Track Cycling Championships, a key event for the Thai track cycling team’s Olympic qualification hopes for 2028," General Decha concluded.