Non-stop pedaling! The Thai national team competes in two consecutive World Cup events chasing tickets to the Olympic Games.
The "two-wheeled" team never rests. They are preparing to send three cyclists to compete in the UCI Track World Cup 2026, round 2 in Hong Kong, and round 3 in Malaysia, aiming to accumulate points to qualify for the UCI Track World Championships 2026 in Shanghai, China in October, and for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.
"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 association is sending three short-distance track cyclists from the 20th Asian Games team to tour for world ranking points aiming for 2028 Olympic quota spots. The cyclists include "TJ" Jai Angsuthasawit, "Nao" Police Senior Sergeant Major Norasetthada Bunma, and "Makham" Police Senior Sergeant Yuenyong Petchrat, with Coach Nop, Police Lieutenant Colonel Adisak Wannsri, as team manager. They departed for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thai Airways flight TG 638 on 14 April to compete in the UCI Track World Cup 2026 round 2 from 17-19 April.
General Decha stated that at the World Cup round 2 in Hong Kong, the three Thai cyclists will compete in three events: the team sprint on 17 April; and two individual events, keirin on 18 April and individual sprint on 19 April. Jai and Norasetthada will be the main competitors in the individual events. Afterward, all three cyclists will travel directly to Malaysia to compete in round 3 from 24-26 April.
"For the two World Cup events, the association aims for the team sprint to achieve a time of 43.500 seconds, improving on the Thai team's previous 44.221 seconds set at the 2026 Asian Track Championships in the Philippines, to vie for a spot in the top 8. The team sprint event includes 16 teams, with strong European participation, while Asian teams such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Hong Kong also compete. The keirin and sprint events each feature over 60 top global cyclists, making it a tough challenge for the Thai athletes. Nevertheless, the association aims for deep progression and maximum points accumulation to qualify for the 2026 UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai in October and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles," General Decha said.
General Decha added that after completing round 2, the Thai national cyclists will depart from Hong Kong to Malaysia to prepare for round 3 from 24-26 April. Beyond aiming to improve world rankings to secure spots for the world championships and Olympics, these two World Cup participations are part of the Thai national team's long-term training plan for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan from October to November. Funding for these World Cup events and the 2026 Asian Track Championships in the Philippines has been fully provided by the Cycling Association of Thailand.
"We must acknowledge that the Cycling Association faces challenges in securing budgets to send Thai cyclists in track, road, mountain bike, and BMX racing disciplines to compete internationally and accumulate points for Olympic quota qualification. Costs for travel, accommodation, and meals have increased due to instability in the Middle East region, with no clear resolution in sight. However, the association will strive to secure as much funding as possible to support Thai cyclists competing in various events to pursue qualification for the 2028 Olympics. The goal is for Thai cyclists to qualify in numbers at least equal to those at the 2024 Olympics, where we qualified in men's and women's road cycling, men's BMX racing, and men's short-distance track cycling," General Decha concluded.