Dr Kongsak Yodmanee, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), provided an update on the ASEAN Para Games 2025, which began on 21 January 2026 and is now awarding gold medals. He stated that the Thai para-athlete delegation aims to win the overall gold medal, although the team may not meet its initial target of 233 gold medals.
The classification process distinguishes para sports from events like the SEA Games. Athletes are grouped by impairment level, and events may be cancelled if there are too few eligible competitors. This has especially impacted swimming, where several events, including relays where Thailand has excelled, have been removed.
Dr Kongsak emphasised that, in addition to competing for the overall gold medal title, transparency and fairness as the host nation are essential. He noted that the classification process has often been sensitive and subject to scrutiny at international para-sport tournaments.
“Thailand must strictly follow rules to prevent any doubts or allegations of bias. Our goal is for all 10 nations to feel confident—not just by our hospitality, but by the fairness and professionalism of our competition management,” the SAT Governor concluded.
Source: ASEAN PARA Games 2025
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