Sacred powers are real: Chaiwat reveals the reason Thailand's men's volleyball team defeated South Korea in the second match of the Asian Championship.
On 7 September 2026, Chaiwat Thungkham, a standout middle blocker for Thailand's men's national volleyball team, spoke after the second group stage match of the 2026 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, sharing insights following their thrilling victory.
Thailand's men's volleyball team took an early 2-0 lead in sets but saw South Korea catch up to 2-2. Ultimately, the young Thai players rallied to win 3-2 with set scores of 25-18, 25-16, 20-25, 22-25, and 15-12. This victory added 5 points, securing their place in the quarterfinals.
Chaiwat Thungkham expressed that it felt like a miracle for Thailand's men's volleyball team to come back and win the fifth set against South Korea, especially after trailing in points as they had in the third and fourth sets. He believes it might have been the power of the Buddha's blessings or some sacred force that helped them clinch the victory.
Chaiwat said, "We played well in the first two sets, but in sets three and four, we couldn't break through their defense. Our serves weren't effective, while they seemed to do everything with ease. The score difference in sets three and four reflects that we were far behind."
"(How did you manage to come back and win set five?) I think it must have been the power of the Buddha's blessings. It really helped. It was a real miracle, especially in set five—there were several points they should have won but didn't."
"It was truly a miracle. I give credit to that first, especially for some unbelievable plays, like those by P'Fluke."
"I would like to ask Thai volleyball fans to continue cheering for us in the next match against Taiwan on the 9th."
In their next match, Thailand's men's volleyball team will face Chinese Taipei in Group C on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, starting at 11:30 a.m. Thailand time.