The Thai sprint cycling team has surged to 4th place in Asia. "Seh Muak" is hopeful for an Asian Games medal.
The Thai track sprint cycling team has risen to 4th in Asia, trailing only Japan, Kazakhstan, and China. "Seh Muak" revealed they are hopeful to secure a quota spot for the 2026 World Championships, while Jai Angsuthasawit also has a chance to qualify in keirin and individual sprint events. "Seh Muak" is confident that the Thai sprint team, comprising Jai, Naratthada, and Yuenyong, has the potential to clock 43 seconds and compete for medals at the 20th Asian Games in Japan.
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 according to the UCI track cycling world rankings released on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, the Thai national team, despite earning a perfect 300 points from their gold medal at the 2026 Track Asia Cup held at the Velodrome in the Sports Authority of Thailand, Huamark, from 28-30 August, remains 15th in the world with a total of 1,950 points.
General Decha stated that compared to the previous week, the Thai sprint team had a chance to surpass Colombia, ranked 14th, but Colombia increased their points from competitions in the Americas and moved up to 12th place, overtaking Trinidad and Tobago and China, which dropped to 13th and 14th respectively. However, within Asia, Thailand moved up from 5th to 4th place, behind Japan at 8th in the world with 2,910 points, Kazakhstan 10th with 2,235 points, and China 13th with 2,070 points—just 120 points ahead of Thailand. India ranks 5th in Asia with 1,710 points (17th globally), followed by Malaysia 6th with 1,620 points (18th globally).
General Decha added that based on the accumulated points, Thailand’s sprint team—"TJ" Jai Angsuthasawit, "Naeo" Police Senior Sergeant Naratthada Boonma, and "Makham" Police Senior Sergeant Yuenyong Phetcharat—has a strong chance to qualify for the UCI Tissot Track World Championships 2026 in Shanghai, China, from 14-18 October 2026, just 12 days after competing at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
"The UCI will announce the national quota allocations for the track cycling world championships on 4 September. Besides the sprint team, Thai cyclists also have a chance to qualify in keirin and individual sprint events. Jai Angsuthasawit, who won gold medals in keirin and sprint at the 2026 Track Asia Cup, has moved up from 48th to 45th in the latest world rankings for short track events," said General Decha.
General Decha continued that at the 2026 Track Asia Cup, the sprint team—which is one of Thailand’s medal hopes at the 20th Asian Games—performed satisfactorily, although their times were not as fast as during the 33rd SEA Games hosted by Thailand. This was because the Thai cyclists had been training extensively on a 250-meter track in Tianjin, China, for months in preparation for the Asian Games, which will be held on a 250-meter indoor velodrome in Izu.
"In 2026, the Thai team recorded similar times around 44 seconds at the Asian Track Championships in the Philippines and two Track World Cup events in Hong Kong and Malaysia, with the best time at 44.226 seconds. At that time, Yuenyong’s bike frame and especially the competition wheels were older and not in optimal condition. For the 20th Asian Games, the Cycling Association of Thailand has ordered new frames and competition wheels for the national team to compete in Nagoya. We are confident that Yuenyong, Jai, and Naratthada will be able to lower their time to around 43 seconds, giving them a chance to win a medal. China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia remain the favorites," General Decha concluded.