"Seth.Muek" proceeds to send Asian Games cycling team on international circuit to gather points and compete for Olympic qualification.
"Seth.Muek" is pushing the Thai national cycling team preparing for the 20th Asian Games to compete in international events across track, road, mountain biking, and BMX. This tour aims to warm up, assess development, and accumulate ranking points to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.
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 plans to send the Thai national team preparing for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, to compete in road, track, mountain biking, and BMX events. This tour is designed to warm up, simulate competitive conditions, and test athletes' progress after training camps starting March 2026, while simultaneously collecting points toward Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028.
General Decha stated that for short-distance track cycling, from January to April 2026, the team has already competed in four events: the 2026 Asian Track Cycling Championships in the Philippines; the 2nd round of the 2026 UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the 3rd round in Malaysia; and the 1st and 2nd rounds of the Japan Track Cup in Japan from 14-17 May. Going forward, training will focus on addressing weaknesses and muscle development.
"Seth.Muek" added that the short track cycling team, including Jai Angsuthasawit, Lt. Narasetthada Bunma, Sgt. Yuenyong Petchrat, and future Lt. Juthathip Maneepan, are scheduled to train for two months at the 250-meter velodrome in China. They will then compete in the international Track Asia Cup 2026 at the Huamark Velodrome in Bangkok from 28-30 August 2026. Afterward, they will return to China for further training until the Asian Games in Japan, where track cycling competitions run from 28 September to 2 October. The year will conclude with the 2026 UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai, China, from 14-18 October.
For BMX racing, the Thai national team preparing for the Asian Games, led by Sgt. Kometh Sukprasert, Mr. Putthapoom Nakpan, Sgt. Chutikarn Kitwanitsethien, and Ms. Hathai Phetsawang, is scheduled to compete in the BMX Banyuwangi Supercross in Indonesia from 27-28 June. Subsequently, youth riders will join to compete in the 2026 Asian BMX Championships in Nilai, Malaysia, from 6-8 August, followed by the Malaysia BMX International, a Class 1 event on 9 August. These events serve as both warm-ups for the Asian Games and opportunities to earn points toward the 2028 Olympics," General Decha explained.
General Decha further revealed that for mountain biking, under the plan of American coach Mr. Robert Herber Jr., the Thai Asian Games mountain bike team, which will compete only in the Olympic cross-country men's and women's events, will participate in the 2026 Asian Mountain Bike Championships in Uzbekistan from 23-27 June. Alongside them will be downhill athletes Sgt. Methasit Boonsane and Sgt. Female Viphavee Dechabales, both multiple-time Asian champions, competing together.
General Decha added that the men's road cycling team will travel to compete in the international "Tour de Gyeongnam" in South Korea from 9-13 June. In the three months prior to the Asian Games, suitable international competitions on the UCI calendar in China will be selected for warm-up. Meanwhile, the women's road team will warm up at the "Grand Prix Jizzakh" in Uzbekistan from 18-19 June, followed by major events: the "Tour of Chongming Island" from 13-15 October and the "Tour of Guangxi" on 18 October in China. Both are part of the Women's World Tour, the highest level for female cycling with significant world ranking points.
Beyond the Thai national cyclists' international competitions, the BMX Banyuwangi Supercross 2026 in Indonesia will also serve as the practical exam venue for Mr. Khattiya Srisoda, a Thai referee who has completed the theoretical international BMX racing referee course. If he passes the practical exam, he will earn full international referee status. Meanwhile, at the Tour de Gyeongnam in South Korea, Mr. Saroj Kanjananon, an Elite National Commissaire in road cycling, has been invited by the hosts to officiate, gaining valuable experience to prepare for advancement to international referee status in the future," General Decha concluded.