The Association held its general meeting at the Bukitta Boutique Hotel on Monday (Sept 16) to conduct the election, with members voting unanimously in Thammarat’s favour to carry out another term as chief.
Mr Thammarat expressed his gratitude for the vote of confidence, adding that even though he is not a Phuket native he does feel like one, having lived here for over 30 years.
He has worked at the Association for the last 10 years, committing himself diligently to developing the sports industry in Phuket to be strong, stable and progressive, he said.
However, there is still much work to be done, he added.
“Returning to the position of the association president for another term will allow us to continue our efforts to develop sports in Phuket province because there are still many difficult things to do,” he explained at Monday’s meeting.
“For example, we need to continue discussions and reach an agreement with local government to allow the construction of an additional sports facility to provide aspiring athletes the correct environment to train and develop.
“We have many talented athletes with much potential but need the correct facilities to allow their talent to blossom,” he explained.
Athletes’ welfare will be a key objective in his next term, Mr Thammarat explained, with a particular focus on providing appropriate accommodation during competition as well as insurance safe-guarding them in the event of accidents or injury.
“Athletes have been forced to sleep at schools or temples in the past during competition and this is something we need to address,” he said.
“They should be able to rest and feel comfortable at hotels, guests houses or appropriate venues to ensure they can perform at their maximum during competition.”
Mr Thammarat did extend thanks to local government for allocating budget to allow improvements to be carried out at Surakul Stadium. The goal is to continue development, he explained, so as to extend the capacity from its current 12,000 to 20,000 to qualify the venue to host international matches.
The duration of Mr Thammarat’s new term was not officially confirmed in reports provided by the Sports Association of Phuket.