“The 33rd SEA Games will be a special occasion as Her Majesty the Queen will participate in the keelboat SSL47 competition between Dec 15-18 at the Ocean Marina Resort Pattaya,” said Chaiyapak Siriwat, vice-president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) during the second “Meet the Press” event on Thursday (Oct 16) at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok.
Her Majesty will follow in the footsteps of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, who competed in sailing at the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games in 1967, reports the Bangkok Post.
The late King and Princess Ubolratana were joint winners in the OK dinghy class of the sailing tournament, which was held in Pattaya.
Meanwhile, eight national sports associations have vowed to contribute 28 gold medals to the Thai tally at the Dec 9-20 tournament.
Hockey and floorball are expected to deliver six gold medals, gymnastics five, practical shooting four, tennis four, weightlifting four, table tennis two, badminton two and one from squash.
The tally has now surged to 64 golds from 14 associations, with a 36-medal target set during the first briefing on Tuesday.
Chaiyapak, who is also president of the Hockey Association, said he is confident Thai players will be able to reach the finals in all six events - men’s and women’s field hockey, men’s and women’s indoor hockey and men’s and women’s hockey 5s - with the biggest hopes resting on the women’s hockey 5s team.
“Floorball will offer two gold medals and I believe we can win both,” he added.
There are 15 events in gymnastics and head coach Kanpichaya Pattanasak expects his athletes to win between 4-5 golds, one from the men’s vault or floor exercise, one from the women’s event and two from rhythmic gymnastics.
Chalitrat Chandrubeksa, secretary-general of the Practical Shooting Association of Thailand, said he is delighted that practical shooting has been included in the SEA Games for the first time.
“It is the first time the SEA Games will feature practical shooting and I am very happy about it. A big thank you to Thailand.
“There are eight events and we expect to win four gold medals. The Philippines is our biggest threat for the titles while Indonesia is also a strong contender,” he said.
The Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand confirmed it is aiming for four golds, with medal hopes resting on the likes of Kasidit Samrej, Maximus Jones, Mananchaya Sawangkaew and Lanna Tararudee.
The Weightlifting Association of Thailand has also vowed to deliver four gold medals from 14 events available.
The Badminton Association of Thailand will have the country’s biggest names in the team including Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Pornpawee Chochuwong, Ratchanok Intanon and Dechapol Puavaranukroh, with the strongest gold medal prospects coming from the women’s team and the women’s single events.
The Thai Table Tennis Association also hopes to win at least two to three gold medals from the women’s team while the squash body targets just one gold out of four.
The third “Meet the Press” session will take place on Oct 28, with aquatics, snooker, wrestling, extreme, sport climbing, jet ski and esports bodies set to present their medal targets.