Thailand loses right to host tournaments

Thailand loses right to host tournaments

BG Pathum's Chatmongkol Thongkiri (centre) vies with Nongbua Pitchaya's Airton Tirabassi, right, in a Thai League 1 game.
BG Pathum's Chatmongkol Thongkiri (centre) vies with Nongbua Pitchaya's Airton Tirabassi, right, in a Thai League 1 game.

Thailand's failure to comply with the conditions of World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has dealt the country another blow as it has been barred from hosting any international football tournaments.

The country has also been denied the right to display its national flag at any such events.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conveyed this to the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and its member clubs through an official letter on Thursday in the wake of a Wada ruling.

The Wada has punished Thailand for its inability to follow the agency's 2021 code.

According to the AFC letter, the FAT can only organise one-off matches, but it has been permitted to send the national teams and its member clubs to take part in certain types of competitions abroad.

The FAT has been barred from organising any international or domestic tournaments involving the Thai national teams and its member club in the Kingdom.

It cannot also bid for the rights to stage any club or international events using the "Centralised Competition" format or a part of any such tournaments, such as its qualifying stages held on a centralised basis.

The national team players have, however, been allowed to display the Thai flags on their match kits and the FAT can organise events which were agreed before the Wada ruling was issued.

Nongbua stun Pathum

Thai League 1 champions BG Pathum United suffered a shock 3-1 defeat at Nongbua Pitchaya on Wednesday night. It was Dusit Chalermsan's first game as the new coach of the Rabbits.

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