Tourism & Sports Ministry to sponsor Thailand Open Master Games
The Tourism and Sports Ministry will sponsor the Thailand Open Master Games 2020 event for senior citizens from September 13 to 20 in Bangkok, Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday (July 13).
“The project was initiated by the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and the Thai Veteran Athletics Association earlier this year,” he said.
“The event was originally named Thailand International Master Games 2020, but due to the Covid-19 crisis we decided to change its format to invitational games, in which Thai athletes will compete with foreign athletes residing in Thailand.
“The ministry has allotted a budget of Bt18 million to sponsor the event, and is planning to raise the limit for next year’s competition to promote sports and tourism,” Pipat added.
The sports to be featured are track and field events, badminton, basketball, bodybuilding, dance sport, football, gate ball, golf, petanque, sepak-takraw, swimming, table tennis, tennis and woodball.
“Athletes must be 30 years and older and will have to bear their own application expenses,” said Jaruek Areeradchakaaran, deputy chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand. “We hope this event will help prepare Thailand to host more senior citizen sport events at the regional and global levels.”