"Pornpun" speaks candidly after the Thai women's volleyball team sets a goal to unlock the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
On 4 September 2026, Chompoo Pornpun Kerdphol, setter and captain of the Thailand women's national volleyball team, gave an interview before traveling to train in Fukuoka, Japan, from 4-13 September, ahead of the 2026 Asian Games from 16-22 September in Nagoya.
The goal of the Thailand women's volleyball team is to contend for their first Asian Games gold medal. Their best results so far are a silver medal in 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and two bronze medals in 2014 in South Korea and 2022 in China.
At the 2026 Asian Games, the Thai women's volleyball team is in Group C with Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Chinese Taipei. Captain Chompoo Pornpun Kerdphol was asked whether aiming for gold after recently winning the Asian Championship and qualifying for the Olympics for the first time might add pressure. She responded as follows.
"I want to say clearly that winning the Asian Championship doesn't mean we must win gold at the Asian Games. I see the game situation can always change."
"There will be wins and losses because volleyball has no draws. So on the day, it depends on the actual match, the skills, and who plays better on that day."
"Sometimes our players might not perform well, so we substitute others, and we might win in ways we didn't expect. The same applies to the opponents. Right now, we know the lineups and what they can bring."
"Of course, we hope to win a medal, likely a podium finish. But during the competition, we won't know which medal because I haven't seen the full schedule yet — how rest days are arranged, how many days we play, who we face. That is not clear yet."
16 September 2026: Thailand vs. Mongolia
17 September 2026: Thailand vs. Kyrgyzstan
18 September 2026: Thailand vs. Chinese Taipei