Thailand will focus on international sports at next month's SEA Games in Myanmar.
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk is Thailand’s best hope in badminton. FILE PHOTO
With more than 100 gold medals up for grabs in traditional sports at the Dec 11-22 Games, Thai officials admit it is not possible for them to win the overall title.
However, they believe they can be the best in international sports contested at the Olympics and the Asian Games.
"With the hosts aiming to win the overall title, it is impossible for us to beat them," said Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand.
"But I believe we are capable of topping the medal table in international sports."
There are several traditional sports at the 27th Games including kempo, vovinam, chinlone, traditional boat race, pencak silat and muay (Muay Thai).
On the other hand, several standard sports such as tennis and gymnastics have been axed from the programme.
Among Thailand's best hopes are athletics, sepak takraw, boxing, weightlifting, golf and billiards and snooker.
Thana Chaiprasit, Thailand's chief of delegation, expects his team to finish second or third overall but the priority will be international sports such as athletics, shooting, swimming and badminton.
At the 26th edition in Indonesia in 2011, Thailand came in second with 109 gold medals _ 73 behind the hosts.
However, Thailand comfortably beat Indonesia with only medals in international sports counted.
It will be the third SEA Games in Myanmar after the 1961 and 1969 editions.
The venues are in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Mandalay and Ngwe Saung beach.
The Games will officially start on Dec 11 but more than the 30 gold medals will be contested before that.
Indonesia aim to claim 125 gold medals to retain the overall crown while Thailand hope to win 100 and Vietnam target 79.
Meanwhile, the Badminton Association of Thailand targets only one gold from world No.12 Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in the men's singles.
The association earlier hoped to get another gold in the women's singles from Ratchanok Intanon but the world champion has withdrawn from the Myanmar tournament.
There will be only five individual competitions in Myanmar without the team events.
"We expect to reach three finals," said BAT official Sompol Kukasemkit.
"But we aim to win only one gold because there are several rivals such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam," he added.
Badminton is one of a few SEA Games sports which feature some world-class players.
Boonsak Ponsana, Thailand's top male player, will not take part in the Games because he will compete at the Superseries Finals to be held in Malaysia from Dec 11-15.
In-form Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, who reached the semi-finals at two consecutive tournaments this month, will also participate in the season-ending Superseries Finals.