The four Thai women have won the Asian Games 4x100m relay gold medal twice in a row - in 2003 in Manila in an impressive time of 44.25 seconds and two years later in South Korea with an improved time of 44.18 seconds.

Their performance also bettered their silver medal time of 44.25 seconds at the previous Asian Games in South Korea. The world record for the event is 41.37 seconds.

After their superb form in the Asian Championships, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) gave the four Thai women the green light to contest the World Cup.

A total of 18 teams will contest the star-studded meet. Teams from Africa, America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the US, Russia, France and Greece will contest the men's events, while the nine women's team events will be contested by squads from Africa, America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the US, Russia, Poland and Greece.

Pol Maj Gen Surapong Ariyamongkol, the deputy chairman of the Asian Athletic Association (AAA), will manage the Asian team which is made up of athletes from 11 nations - Bahrain, China, India, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Thailand.

But Surapong is also being realistic about the Thai squad's chances in the star-studded field.

"Europe, Russian and American sprinters are very strong in the women's relay events," he said. "Our hopes are not that high. Our athletes ran 44.18 [seconds] in the Asian meet."

Preechachan  Wiriyanupappong

The Nation