"Gen. Muek" is expediting plans to pursue Olympic quotas while preparing to compete in the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia. The event is crucial for Thailand’s cycling ambitions.
General Decha Hemkrasri convened all coaches of Thailand’s national cycling teams across all disciplines to plan training and competition schedules aimed at accumulating points to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games. The goal is to win the men's elite BMX racing category at the Asian Championships to automatically secure a ticket to the Los Angeles Games. Simultaneously, preparations are underway for the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia. He acknowledged concerns over uncertain government budget support but affirmed commitment to athlete development plans.
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, chaired a meeting with all national cycling team coaches on 20 Oct 2026 at the association’s conference room. The meeting aimed to strategize efforts to qualify athletes for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA, and to prepare for the 34th SEA Games in Malaysia in 2027 — a pivotal year for accumulating points to secure Olympic qualification.
The meeting included coaches from each cycling discipline: Road coaches Wisut Kasiyaphat (“Coach Tum”) and Airforce Officer Phuchong Saiudomsin (“Coach Bas”); Track coaches Police Lieutenant Adisak Wansri (“Coach Nop”) and Second Lieutenant Jutatip Maneepan (“Coach Beeze”); Mountain bike coaches Mr. Robert Herber Jr. and Sergeant Seri Ruangsiri; BMX coaches Mr. Harvey Kreps and Sergeant Nonthakorn Inkoksung. Also attending was Major General Dr. Phusit Fuangfu, Vice President of the Thai Cycling Association in charge of medical and sports science.
The meeting reviewed the Thai cycling team’s performance at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, and results across all disciplines in 2026. Notably, the men’s sprint team recently achieved 13th place at the Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, China, last weekend, improving their world ranking to 13th in the Olympic qualification points standings.
After the meeting, General Decha disclosed that the 2027 plan for the road team focuses on competing in the Asia Tour to accumulate points, prioritizing events where Thai cyclists have assured scoring opportunities. This includes the 2027 Asian Road Cycling Championships in China, where the top two Asian cyclists in the men’s and women’s elite categories automatically qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games. Similarly, BMX racing and mountain biking champions at the Asian Championships will also earn automatic Olympic qualification.
General Decha added that the BMX racing team plans to send male, female, and youth national cyclists to train at the World Cycling Centre (WCC) branch in New Zealand from January to February 2027. They will then move to the WCC in Switzerland for training and competitions across Europe from March to April 2027. The team will return to Thailand 3–4 weeks before hosting the 2027 Asian BMX Championships on 27–28 May 2027, aiming to win the men’s elite title. Meanwhile, Mr. Harvey Kreps will begin developing a new generation of Thai BMX athletes targeting the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia.
"As for track cycling, preparations will continue until the 2027 Asian Track Cycling Championships in Malaysia from 31 January to 6 February 2027. Coaches plan a one-month training camp at the 250-meter indoor velodrome in Tianjin, China, ahead of the championships, which is a key Olympic qualification event. This is in addition to the 2027–2028 World Cup season and the 2026 and 2027 Track Cycling World Championships. The mountain bike team will follow training regimens designed by Mr. Robert Herber to maintain fitness leading into crucial Olympic points events," General Decha explained.
General Decha expressed concern over challenges in following these plans due to unresolved government budget support for fiscal year 2027 and lack of clarity in preparations for the 34th SEA Games in Malaysia scheduled for September 2027. The association faces limited funding to support extensive training and competition necessary for Olympic qualification. Despite these financial constraints, the Cycling Association of Thailand is committed to implementing its athlete development plans to achieve success in Thai cycling.