Thai sports teams aim to win up to 252 gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games on home soil - Photo: Reuters
Specifically, Thailand expects to win up to 252 gold medals at this year's Games. This is an almost unbelievable number, as the current record held by Vietnam is only 205, set at the 31st SEA Games.
Applying sports science to the fullest extent.
Thailand has the advantage of being the host nation and also boasts a strong sporting tradition in the region. They have many strong disciplines, spread across athletics, swimming, badminton, volleyball, and even football, although there have been signs of decline in recent years.
However, the goal of winning 252 gold medals out of a total of 574 medal events will be extremely challenging. On the afternoon of October 23, speaking to the press, Mr. Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, said that the government will provide full support to the athletes to achieve this goal.
He stated: "Athletes from ASEAN countries have made significant progress. When countries send athletes to the SEA Games, they also want to win gold medals. Therefore, we must closely manage and thoroughly prepare Thai athletes."
Therefore, the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) must provide full support to the athletes. We must thoroughly apply sports science, technology, and equipment to training to help athletes improve. Only then can Thailand achieve its goal of 252 gold medals, or even surpass that milestone."
Accumulate experience to work towards higher goals.
In the SEA Games arena, Thailand has always been a leader, finishing first in the overall medal standings many times. To this day, the country still leads in overall achievements across all editions of the Games.
Specifically, Thailand had won 2,453 gold medals, 2,127 silver medals, and 2,204 bronze medals. However, since 2017, they have no longer held the top position. At the 2019 SEA Games, the Philippines led with 149 gold medals. In the following two editions, Vietnam took the lead, winning 205 and 136 gold medals respectively.
Many believe that Thailand has already won enough titles at the SEA Games and is now aiming for higher-level competitions such as the Asian Games and the Olympics. This is partly true, as in recent years they have produced many world-class athletes such as Kunlavut Vitidsarn (badminton), Puripol Boonson (athletics), Panipak Wongpattanakit (taekwondo)...
However, the SEA Games remain an unmissable event. This is because it's an opportunity for Thailand to "collect medals," as there are many sports in which they haven't yet reached world-class standards. Furthermore, they see the SEA Games as a place for athletes to compete, gain experience, and aim for higher goals.
This year, this goal is even more important as Thailand is hosting the Games. Therefore, they absolutely cannot afford to miss the opportunity to achieve a high ranking at the 33rd SEA Games.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thai-lan-dat-muc-tieu-khung-cho-sea-games-33-20251024093143696.htm
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