The Thai women’s volleyball team cruised past Taiwan on Tuesday in a bid to claim a historic Olympic berth on home soil.
With only one ticket to the 2020 Games available, the Thais must win the Asian Women’s Tokyo Volleyball Qualification tournament which began on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Thailand have never secured a volleyball spot at the Olympics and this is a good opportunity for them to achieve the feat.
The Thai spikers never disappointed fans at Chatchai Hall as they won the first match against Taiwan 25-16, 25-21, 25-16. They will meet Australia on Thursday.
The Thais are hot favourites to be crowned champions in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, with South Korea seen as their most dangerous opponents.
Thailand are in Pool A with Taiwan and Australia, while South Korea are in Pool B with Iran, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.
The top two teams of each group reach the semi-finals.
The Nakhon Ratchasima tournament is likely to be the last chance for several Thai stars to seal an Olympic berth as Nootsara, Pleumjit Thinkaow and Onuma Sittrak are all in their 30s now.