Lucky Saturday...Cheering for both the young and senior Thai football teams.,
In an era where the country faces hardships with high food prices and, more accurately, extremely expensive oil,
and where corrupt groups like “Ai Hoi” and “Ai Hon” are trying to seize control of the nation, as is happening now,
there are only a few sources of happiness that can heal and comfort the Thai people, helping them to ease their suffering and smile again.
These are the successes found in “music and sports.”
They bring happiness to all of us, allowing us to forget the daily challenges we face.
Especially the achievement of “Nene Royal,” or “Nong Praew” Rattikan Amlai, a miraculous 16-year-old girl from Phuket,
who made history on the global stage by winning America’s Got Talent 2026, also known as AGT Season 21, in a grand fashion.
She showcased masterful skills in heavy metal guitar playing and singing, captivating audiences worldwide and receiving overwhelming votes.
She became the first Thai to win an international title on the American stage.
This is a source of pride for all Thais, moving many viewers to tears during the broadcast.
What Nong Nene achieved will serve as a tremendous inspiration,
motivating Thai youth of future generations to strive and succeed in similar ways.
As for the current joy in sports cheering, the focus must be on the performance of Thai athletes
at the 2026 Asian Games, which are fiercely contested in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the land of the Samurai.
This evening (Friday, 25 Sep) the key highlight that Thai sports fans must watch and support eagerly
is the men’s 100-meter sprint gold medal pursuit by “Thep Bew” Phuripol Bunsai, a 20-year-old Thai sprinter.
He posted an excellent qualifying time of 9.95 seconds.
Phuripol entered these Asian Games not as an underdog but as the “favorite” based on the fastest time in Asia for 2026.
Therefore, he has a strong chance of making history by ending Thailand’s 48-year wait for an Asian Games track gold medal.
The opportunity to claim the gold medal is indeed very high.
The last time a Thai athlete won an individual track gold medal at the Asian Games was back in the 1978 Bangkok Games.
Those achievements were by Suchart Jasurapap in the men’s 100 meters and Usanee Laopinkarn in the women’s 200 meters.
Will “Bew” be able to make this a reality?
The answer awaits in his speed and performance at 17:33 Thai time. Let’s watch and cheer together.
Meanwhile, the Asian Games schedule on Saturday, 26 Sep, features a must-see knockout quarterfinal match for the Thai U-23 national football team.
They advanced as runners-up in Group A and will face the group champions, China.
On paper, this Thai squad is slightly behind the Chinese players but not enough to cause great concern.
Historical records clearly show that Thai football has never feared China; no matter when or where they meet, the matches are always competitive and exciting.
Especially at the Asian Games, when Thailand first placed fourth in 1990 by defeating China in Beijing on China’s National Day, 36 years ago.
This is a memorable moment in Thai football history that no one will ever forget.
Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul told me that this Thai team has no superstars.
Everyone plays as a team with confidence, faith, and a fighting spirit exceeding 100 percent every second on the field.
Our clear goal is to reach the semifinals, just as the senior teams have done four times in the past.
But ideally, we want to bring home a medal—any color—for the first time in history.
Before reaching that point, we must first overcome this “Great Wall of China” in the upcoming match.
We ask fans to fully support the Thai players. Thairath TV Channel 32 and the AIS PLAY app will broadcast the match live from 13:00 Thai time.
On the same day, 26 Sep, after cheering for the Asian Games team, don’t forget to support the senior Thai national team as they begin their campaign in the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.
This football tournament is organized by FIFA for the first time and is hosted in Indonesia.
Thailand’s first opponent in the group stage is Pakistan.
Based on world rankings, Thailand should comfortably secure three points if they maintain form and avoid careless mistakes.
This match kicks off at 16:00 at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung.
Due to extremely expensive and extravagant broadcasting rights, no one has yet purchased the rights to show it in Thailand.
However, this is not a problem because football fans will naturally find ways to watch on their own.
We hope that Saturday the 26th will be a “Lucky Saturday” bringing victories for our national teams,
both the Asian Games squad and the senior FIFA ASEAN Cup team.
May they bring happiness and fulfillment to the Thai people, just as Nong Nene has done.
Thailand, fight, fight!!!
- Bee Bangpakong -