"Niraratch" speaks candidly about the goals of the Thai women's volleyball team at the SEA V Cup 2026 following their first major tournament.
On 29 July 2026, Khaofang Niraratch Srikuta, a rising star outside hitter of the Thai women's national volleyball team, shared her thoughts after being named to the senior national team to compete in the first leg of the 6th SEA V Cup 2026 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
At age 20, Khaofang Niraratch Srikuta stood out in the 2026 Thailand League playing for the Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC club, earning a call-up to train with the Thai women's national volleyball team since the 2026 VNL, and was selected for the SEA V Cup 2026 first leg.
Before departing to compete with the senior Thai women's volleyball team for the first time, Khaofang shared, "I feel happy and excited. The training camp was tough but also fun. We prepared well because we trained very hard."
"For me, Coach Ott focused intensively on my first ball technique, since my basics there were not strong, as well as on serve reception and attack reception."
Regarding the goal for the first leg of SEA V Cup 2026, although a newcomer, Khaofang Niraratch Srikuta stated clearly that she aims to win the championship. Despite the team focusing mainly on young players, she is confident in the team's potential and their hard preparation, believing they can compete strongly.
"I don't feel afraid because our team has prepared well. I believe we can compete. The mental strength of us young players is strong. We will definitely fight hard. Our goal is the championship."
The first leg of the 6th SEA V Cup 2026 will be held from 31 July to 2 August 2026 with four teams: Vietnam (host), the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. They will compete in a round-robin format to determine the champion based on the highest points.
31 July
16:00 Indonesia vs Thailand
19:00 Vietnam vs Philippines
1 August
16:00 Thailand vs Philippines
19:00 Indonesia vs Vietnam
2 August
16:00 Philippines vs Indonesia
19:00 Thailand vs Vietnam