Thailand Hosts 1,600 Para-Athletes for ASEAN Games Return

After nearly two decades, Thailand is rolling out the red carpet for Southeast Asia's best para-athletes, hosting more than 1,600 competitors from 10 nations in Nakhon Ratchasima this week.

The 13th ASEAN Para Games kicks off Tuesday with wheelchair fencing legend Saysunee Jana lighting the torch at the opening ceremony. Fresh off her historic Paris 2024 Paralympics performance where she became the first woman to win three gold medals in a single Games, Saysunee will compete in two events as Thailand chases 233 gold medals across 19 sports.

The week-long tournament runs through January 26, with 493 gold medals up for grabs in everything from athletics and swimming to boccia and goalball. Thailand last topped the ASEAN Para Games medal table in Singapore in 2015 and is hungry to reclaim the crown on home soil.

The Thai team brings serious star power. Three-time Paralympic champion Pongsakorn Paeyo leads the wheelchair racing squad after winning his third consecutive 400m gold in Paris. Fellow Paris medalist Chaiwat Rattana joins him alongside legendary Paralympian Prawat Wahoram, who has collected 16 Paralympic medals throughout his career.

Table tennis veterans Rungroj Thainiyom and Wanchai Chaiwut, both Paralympic silver medalists, anchor another strong squad. The boccia team features world-class athletes Worawut Saengampa, Watcharaphon Vongsa, and Pornchok Larpyen.

The Ripple Effect

This tournament means more than medals. Four sports (athletics, swimming, weightlifting, and cycling) serve as qualifiers for the Asian Para Games coming to Nagoya, Japan in October, giving athletes a crucial stepping stone to even bigger stages.

Dr. Gongsak Yodmani, governor of Thailand's Sports Authority, emphasized the competition's intensity. Indonesia, Thailand's traditional rival, sent their strongest team because they know this platform launches careers and changes lives.

For rising stars like track athletes Plathip Khamtha, Sasirawan Inthachot, and Orawan Kraising, these Games offer a chance to compete alongside their heroes and announce themselves to the region. The tournament showcases not just athletic excellence but the power of inclusion and determination across Southeast Asia.

As 10 nations gather in Nakhon Ratchasima, they're proving that barriers exist only to be broken.