Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has told Thai athletes and officials, who will be participating in the upcoming Asian Games, to uphold sportsmanship and strengthen friendship with participants from other countries.
The delegation, led by Thai Olympic chief Prawit Wongsuwon, met the prime minister at Government House on Monday ahead of the Asian Games to be held in Indonesia from Aug 18-Sept 2.
Gen Prayut told them that while they have to do their best as representatives of Thailand, they should not forget about sportsmanship and friendship.
"You have to keep in mind that a sports competition is not all about winning. If you win but lose friendship then it is useless. The objective of a sports competition is everybody must have sportsmanship,'' he said.
He said they could learn a lesson from a win or a loss.
The premier praised them for their hard work which earned them spots in the national teams.
Meanwhile, the Philippines have reversed their decision to pull out of the basketball tournament at the Asian Games after listening to the views of their fans, Ricky Vargas, chairman of the Philippines Basketball Association, said.
The country withdrew from the competition last month with its governing body saying that it needed to focus on its appeal against punishment for a on-court brawl during a World Cup qualifier last month.
Thirteen players from the Australia and Philippines teams were suspended for their role in the fight during the game in Bulacan on July 2. "We realised there is a strong clamour from our fans, so we decided to take a look at it," Vargas said. "This will be final."