Thailand has strengthened its position as one of the main candidates for hosting the V Summer Youth Olympic Games after accepting the evaluation group of the International Olympic Committee. Experts visited sports facilities in Bangkok and Chonburi and held meetings with local authorities.
The visit was led by Danka Grbekova, member of the IOC and chairman of the working group on the UOI-2030. Many high—ranking officials representing Thailand's bid participated in the events, including the head of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Surasak Pancharoenvorakul, and the President of the National Olympic Committee, Pimol Srivikorn.
"On behalf of Thailand, I cordially welcome everyone. Our bid to host the 2030 Youth Olympic Games reflects our national vision: to make Thailand a dynamic global center for sports, youth development and international events," Thairath Online quoted Surasak Pancharoenvorakul, who also announced his intention to create a separate Ministry of Sports.
During the inspection, the facilities were inspected, which in the future may host competitions within the framework of the UOI‑2030. In Bangkok, the delegation visited: The Rajamangala National Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies are planned, indoor playgrounds, areas for urban sports, rock climbing, shooting, archery, table tennis, gymnastics and football, the territory of Chulalongkorn University, where they want to place the Olympic village. In Chonburi, the delegation visited facilities designed for equestrian, aquatics and outdoor competitions.
The Thai Sports Authority emphasized that the training includes transportation, technical plans, medical care, safety, technology, caring for participants, legacy related to innovation, training and development of new athletes.
The Thai Olympic Committee reinforced the message with a youth-focused thesis. Pimol Srivikorn submitted an application under the slogan "Inspiring youth by connecting the South‑East Asia and Asia". He correlated the project with the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and the New IOC Norm and built it around three ideas: organizing flexible and effective Games, increasing youth participation, and turning Bangkok into a regional bridge between sports, education, culture, and urban life.
The process of determining the capital of the Games is reaching the finish line. Bangkok and Chonburi (Thailand) compete with Asuncion (Paraguay) and Santiago (Chile) — these cities were included in the shortlist. The IOC is expected to announce the venue of the UOI‑2030 at the General Assembly, which will be held on June 25 in Lausanne.
Photo: SAT
