Bangkok: The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) is optimistic about securing another gold medal in esports at the Asian Games, emphasizing the necessity for stricter athlete selection and preventive measures following an incident at the SEA Games.

According to Thai News Agency, Dr. Kongsak Yodmani, the Governor of the SAT, discussed the preparations for the Thai national esports team ahead of the 20th Asian Games, scheduled from September 19th to October 4th, 2026, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Esports is viewed as a promising field for gold medals for Thailand. The Thai team had a remarkable performance at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, securing 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals. With this success, the SAT and the E-sports Association of Thailand are confident in winning at least one gold medal this time.

The SAT Governor addressed a previous issue involving a Thai female national team athlete who violated competition rules at the 33rd SEA Games in 2025, resulting in the team's withdrawal. Discussions with the Esports Association of Thailand have led to a consensus on implementing stricter selection criteria for the national team to avoid such incidents in the future. Dr. Yodmani expressed confidence in a smooth selection process and reassured the athletes of their commitment to achieving optimal results.

The esports competition at the 20th Asian Games, held at the Aichi Sky Expo, will feature 11 gold medals across various categories, including Fighting Games (Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV), Pok©mon UNITE, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, PUBG MOBILE (Asian Games version), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Identity V (Asian Games version), Naraka: Bladepoint, Gran Turismo 7, eFootball, and Puyo Puyo Champions.