With the 15th Asian Games in the capital city of Qatar just round the corner, all 45 countries on the continent are ready to unleash their best athletes in the quadrennial sports festival that is held in a friendly ambience of athletic rivalry and social interaction.

In Busan, Thailand had their sights on 13 gold, but their athletes fought tooth and nail to capture a total of 14 gold, 19 silver and 10 bronze medals to finish sixth overall.

This time around, Thai athletes are heading to Doha with greater confidence and determination. In a recent assessment of the Thai athletes' performances and their gold medal prospects at the Asiad conducted by a committee headed by Admiral Suravudh Maharom, it was found that the country of around 70 million should win between 15 and 18 gold medals.

Thailand will send a delegation of 489 athletes and officials to the Games, which will be held between December 1-15. Among the female athletes will be HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, the granddaughter of His Majesty the King.

After winning a gold medal in the women's badminton team event on her debut in the SEA Games in Manila last year, the Princess is determined to win honours against tougher opposition. She will join with other members of the badminton team for the trip on November 27.

Suravudh said athletes from 33 sports associations have been training intensively for the Asiad. Among those, only 15 are sure bets for gold medals. They comprise weightlifters (targeting two gold), wushu exponents (2), athletes (1), badminton players (1), bodybuilders (1), boxers (2), cueists (1), karate-do exponents (1), rowers (1), sailors (1), windsurfers (1), sepak takraw players (4), shooters (1), taekwondo exponents (2) and tennis players (2).

In fact, the sports associations have put the actual target at 23 gold medals. However, after taking factors such as the performances of athletes in recent competitions into consideration, the Athletes Preparatory Committee scaled down the number to between 15 and 18.

"I think the assessment is very close to what our athletes got in Busan. If they fare better, we have a chance of finishing not lower than sixth," Suravudh said.

"The Asian Games are not as easy as the SEA Games where we have been dominating for many years. There are so many stronger athletes in the continent. China, South Korea and Japan have been formidable and it will be a Herculean task to defeat them or overtake them in the medals standings. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and hosts Qatar have made tremendous progress in recent times. Some countries will field either imported athletes or those who hold more than one nationality," he said.

 "I'm confident that we will win gold medals in wushu, sepak takraw, weightlifting, boxing and taekwondo. We will fare much better than Busan."

The soccer, windsurfing and sailing squad members will be among the first group to leave for Qatar on November 26. Thana Chaiprasit will be the Thai chef-de-mission.

More than 10,000 athletes are expected to take part in 39 sporting disciplines. The Games kick off on November 28, with the soccer competition at the Al-Gharrafa Sports Club and the Al-Rayyan Sports Club.

The opening ceremony, however, will be held at the Khalifa Stadium on December 1.

Preechachan Wiriyanupappong

The Nation