Thai Youth Olympic Team Still Has Hopes in Second Half Despite No Medals Yet, Showing Clear Development - Thairath English
The Thai team still has ongoing hopes in the second half, though no medals have been won yet, but clear development is visible at the 4th Youth Olympic Games "Dakar 2026" in Senegal.
On 6 Nov 2026, Ms. Prodpran Samanmit, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), spoke about the performance of Thailand's national youth athletes at the 4th Youth Olympic Games "Dakar 2026," held from 31 October to 13 November 2026 in Dakar, Senegal, after the event passed its halfway point. She said it must be acknowledged that this Youth Olympic Games is completely different from previous editions.
The SAT governor added that in previous editions, our athletes who excelled could qualify to compete, which resulted in Thailand winning many medals. However, this time the participation policy has changed, with quotas distributed evenly among all countries, reducing the number of athletes per nation overall. The Youth Olympic Games now emphasize not only excellence but also participation and the development of youth athletes, so everyone can build toward larger future events. Thailand shares this perspective, focusing not just on medals but also on athletes' development and records at this age group, with several sports performing well this time.
"At the halfway mark, many sports have shown satisfactory performances. Although there are no medals yet, it reflects development that can be built upon for bigger tournaments like the Olympic Games. The important thing is that these youth athletes aged 13-18 get to see the skills of their competitors. While not all, these young athletes will grow to become key players for their countries and likely face each other again at future Olympic Games," Ms. Prodpran said.
Additionally, the SAT governor said that in the second half, fans can continue to follow several sports, including boxing from 7-12 November 2026, windsurfing from 8-12 November 2026, cycling from 8-10 November 2026, athletics from 8-10 November 2026, and beach handball from 9-13 November 2026.
