Mr. Lawan Sangsnit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Chairman of the Government Lottery Office (GLO), chaired the press conference announcing the launch of the national 8-a-side youth football championship, "GLO Cup 2026." Present were Mr. Mongkol Wimolrat, Director-General of the Department of Physical Education, Lieutenant Colonel Noon Sansanakhom, Director of the Government Lottery Office, and Commander Piyapong Piuaon, Chairman of the Thai Football Development Foundation, along with Thai national football players who have previously succeeded in Japan's J-League. They gathered to encourage and share experiences with youth at the Asawin Grand Convention Hotel in Bangkok on 10 February.
The Government Lottery Office (GLO), in partnership with the Thai Football Development Foundation, officially launched the "GLO Cup 2026," a national 8-a-side youth football championship. This continues their mission to give back to society by developing Thai youth under 13 and under 15 nationwide, with total prize money exceeding 1 million baht and an important opportunity to select talented young players for the GLO STAR program to train with top clubs in Japan's J-League for six months.
The GLO Cup 2026 continues the success of the 2025 tournament, which received overwhelming support from schools, academies, and football communities nationwide as a platform that creates "real opportunities" for Thai youth. This year, the Government Lottery Office confirmed it will further develop the project after sending the first group of six GLO STAR youth to train with Avispa Fukuoka in Japan's J-League.
Mr. Lawan Sangsnit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Chairman of the Government Lottery Office, revealed that the GLO has a crucial mission to return profits to society, especially by creating opportunities and a better future for Thai children and youth. The ongoing GLO Cup 2026 tournament serves as a tool for young people to spend their free time constructively, staying away from drugs and vices, while developing their physical health, discipline, and proper attitudes through sports.
"The most important aspect of this project is not just the competition results but the opportunity for children from all regions of Thailand to demonstrate their potential equally and to progress toward a professional football career."
Mr. Mongkol Wimolrat, Director-General of the Department of Physical Education, stated that the department is ready to support by applying sports science technology, including physical performance assessment programs and brain capability tests, as well as innovations based on systematic and reliable research. These will be concretely used to develop the potential of youth participating in this year's project, serving as individual training guidelines and providing advice to coaches, teachers, and parents to sustainably enhance the body and mind of young student athletes.
"The approach to assessing physical and mental capabilities for youth athletes focuses on studying and establishing normal benchmarks for key performance indicators of talented athletes. This can be applied to identify, discover, and select youth players effectively."
Lieutenant Colonel Noon Sansanakhom, Director of the Government Lottery Office, said that following the success of GLO Cup 2025 and clear progress of youth both on and off the field, they are committed to continuing GLO Cup 2026 and enhancing the GLO STAR program to be more tangible, especially the opportunity to send children to train with J-League clubs in Japan.
"Traveling to Japan is not merely a prize but a learning process in football, discipline, and life skills, which are fundamental to becoming a professional athlete in the future."
Commander Piyapong Piuaon, Chairman of the Thai Football Development Foundation, said that GLO Cup 2026 will remain an important platform for sustainable development of Thai youth. The 8-a-side format is designed to suit children’s learning stages, focusing on ball possession, passing from the back, and systematic game thinking, aligning with international football development approaches, especially the Japan Way.
"This project is not just a competition but a process of screening and developing children with potential to enter the Thai national team system in the future, particularly before reaching the U17 level, which is a key national objective."
The event also featured a special session with the first group of six GLO STAR youth from 2025, including under-13 players Sornchai Pharunai, Krisada Buakajorn, Irfan Dolae, and under-15 players Phattarakorn Iam-amphorn, Klawat Duangklang, and Theerapol Khamkla. They are currently training with Avispa Fukuoka in Japan for six months, sharing their experiences on training, living, and adaptation, while receiving direct guidance from senior players “Muay” Teerasil Dangda and “Jay” Chanathip Songkrasin.
The GLO Cup 2026 competition will continue with regional qualifiers divided into seven areas nationwide: Central and Western, Eastern and Metropolitan, Lower Northeastern, Upper Northeastern, Northern, Southern, and Bangkok. Each region will select representatives to advance to the national finals with 32 teams per age group. This year features an added element where each region will hold a championship to determine the regional champion before the national finals, scheduled for September 2026.
The 8-a-side youth football competition for under-13 and under-15 age groups, the GLO Cup 2026 national championship, is open for registration from 11 February to 20 March 2026. More details are available on the Government Lottery Office Facebook Fanpage and GLO Cup by the Thai Football Development Foundation, as well as the websites www.glo.or.th and glocup.com.