Thailand Makes Home Advantage Count and India Debuts at Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships

Thailand repeated both as hosts and as champions of the Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships over the weekend. The country previously hosted the tournament in 2025 and 2023, always on Jomtien Beach in Pattaya, and has topped the medal table every time.

This year Thailand picked up six gold medals, three silver and four bronze. Its closest competitors were China (four golds and two silvers) and Vietnam (two golds, four silvers and two bronzes). However, the Chinese team was split between Asia and Europe, where rowers were also competing in the fourth round of the Filippi Trophy, and where China would pick up two gold medals and a silver against mostly European competitors. If the world’s second most populous country had solely focused on the Asian tournament, the final medal balance may have been different.

One of the key stories from Jomtien Beach was the debut of India, the world’s largest country. Home to more than 1.4 billion people—more than 17.7% of the world’s population—India has the potential to succeed in almost any sport, including rowing, but in most disciplines it has not yet achieved significant success. India also has a coastline that stretches more than 11.000km, making beach sprint a specifically interesting opportunity.

In the South-Asian country’s first appearance at the Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships, Ravi won a silver medal in the men’s solos. And the senior women’s double of Priyadarshini Murugan and Savita registered a fourth-place finish. (The under-19 women’s double of Shivrani Surendra Kateria and Arushi Rakesh Barar also came fourth, but there were only four boats in their competition.)

The podiums from the 2026 Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships were:

CW1x:

1. Parisa Chaempudsa – Thailand
2. Yiran Liu – China
3. Thi Anh Tho Nguyen – Vietnam

CM1x:

1. Qingyao Li – China
2. Ravi – India
3. Nawamin Dechudomrat – Thailand

CMix2x:

1. Yechang Zhao, Jingyu Li – China
2. Siripong Chaiwichitchonkul, Parisa Chaempudsa – Thailand
3. Tien Dung Khuc, Thi Anh Tho Nguyen – Vietnam

CW2x:

1. Natticha Kaewhom, Arisa Chaiya – Thailand
2. Lam Kieu Diem Nguyen, Thi Anhtuyet Tran – Vietnam
3. Feiza Jane Lenton, Amelyn Pagulayan – Philippines

CM2x:

1. Watchara Pangthong, Premanut Wattananusith – Thailand
2. Ahmed Khamis Alhammadi, Mohamad Salman Saif – United Arab Emirates
3. Mohammed Kareem Al-Nuami, Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Azzawi – Iraq

U19 CW1x:

1. Vo Kieu Loan Hoang – Vietnam
2. Yalin Chen – China
3. Thatchaporn Phengsawang – Thailand

U19 CM1x:

1. Boren Bu – China
2. Math Evan Jugadora – Philippines
3. Abdullah Almamy – Saudi Arabia

U19 CMix2x:

1. Qizhen Liu, Xinyuan Yang – China
2. Trairat Panthong, Thatchaporn Phengsawang – Thailand
3. Chun Cai, Wai Hei Chen – Hong Kong

U19 CW2x:

1. Ayonna Huerto, Khayzie Caviltes – Philippines
2. Thi Y Nhi Mai, Thi Thuy Dung Pham – Vietnam
3. Monthipa Saendee, Noramonphat Oongsomwang – Thailand

U19 CM2x:

1. Narawit Srisuk, Narathorn Inban – Thailand
2. Quang Phuoc Duong, Duc Thanh Long Luu– Vietnam
3. Azizkhon Nazarov, Odiljon Bokhodirov – Uzbekistan

U16 CW1x:

1. Yanisa Sinprasert – Thailand
2. Minh Chau Ngoc – Vietnam
3. Yin Tsang – Hong Kong

U16 CM1x:

1. Jesslly Emmanuel Pilar – Philippines
2. Ahmed Alqahtani – Saudi Arabia
3. Mohamed Salim Alsuweidi – United Arab Emirates

U16 CMix2x:

1. Teeraphat Thaimee, Yanisa Sinprasert –Thailand
2. Alkin Chan, Yin Tsang – Hong Kong

U16 CW2x:

1. Thi Ngoc Anh Nguyen, Minh Chau Ngoc – Vietnam
2. Doungdee Sirivipa, Srisai Phonnapha – Thailand

U16 CM2x:

1. Kyle Angeles Olano, Jesslly Emmanuel Pilar – Philippines
2. Ahmed Alqahtani, Abdullah Alassaf – Saudi Arabia
3. Prukpirom Thongklee, Taksin Raingthong – Thailand