Bangkok: The Thai national taekwondo team is all set to compete in the 20th Asian Games in Japan, buoyed by a morale-boosting meal hosted by The Food Selection Group Co., Ltd. at Katsu Midori Sushi, CentralWorld. Chanavee Homtoey and Supanat Satcharattanakul, CEOs of the company, warmly welcomed the team ahead of their departure.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Thanathit Raktabutr, Secretary-General of the Taekwondo Association of Thailand, expressed gratitude towards The Food Selection Group Co., Ltd. for their generous support. "This special meal is a great morale booster for the athletes, coaches, and everyone involved. It replenishes their energy, enabling them to perform their duties in the competition and win medals, thereby bringing honor to Thailand, as in every tournament before," he stated.
"Yu" Ballang Thapthimdaeng, a prominent figure in the team and gold medalist in the 63kg category at the 19th Asian Games, is determined to defend his title in Nagoya. He mentioned that this year's Asian Games is the most significant competition, and extensive training has been underway since the beginning of the year. Visits to sacred sites such as the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine, Wat Phra Sri Rattanasasadaram, and the Erawan Shrine have been instrumental in providing peace and focus for the athlete.
Ballang emphasized the importance of support from the Thai community, saying, "I want everyone to cheer on the Thai Taekwondo team to perform well at the Asian Games in Japan. We will be competing from October 1st to 3rd. I myself will be competing on October 3rd. I want to ask all Thais to cheer on all the Thai athletes. We will fight as we always have."
The team has been rigorously training, with a week-long session in Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima province, before traveling to Osaka, Japan for further preparation on September 20th. They are scheduled to visit the Athletes' Village in Nagoya on September 27th. Meanwhile, the Thai Poomsae team will travel to South Korea to compete in the 2026 Taekwondo Poomsae World Championships from September 16-20, before heading to the Asian Games.