Khon Kaen University has secured its first gold medal at the 51st Thailand University Games, “Inthanin Games 2026”, hosted by Maejo University in Chiang Mai Province. With this achievement, the university has climbed to 20th place on the medal table, collecting eight medals in total: 1 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze.
The highlight came on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, when KKU’s Women’s Team A-Math captured the university’s first gold medal. The team—Miss Natnicha Riebkhorburi, Miss Wipawee Seekrai, Miss Kannattha Chaiwut, and Miss Suphalak Singsiw—showcased exceptional analytical thinking, strategic planning, and teamwork.
One team representative shared that two months of intensive preparation paid off, noting a match strategy that prioritised building an early lead on the first board before switching to a defensive approach on the second to secure victory.
One of the A-Math team representatives stated: “I am very happy and excited; it far exceeded our expectations. I feel that the dedication of our intensive training over the past two months has truly paid off. I want to thank everyone in the A-Math team and the coaches who sacrificed their time to help us practise, analyse weaknesses, and strengthen our points. Although there were top-favourite universities in this event, we fought our hardest. We employed a strategy to analyse the first board; once we had a significant lead, we focused on a defensive game on the second board to make it harder for the opponents to score, which eventually led us to win the medal. Following this, the women’s team hopes for two more gold medals so that our Khon Kaen University athletes can become the MVPs of this event. Please continue to send us your support.”
Meanwhile, the silver medal performances came from Taekwondo (Women’s Individual Combat, under 53 kg), where Miss Thanaporn Kaewsai delivered a strong performance throughout the competition to admirably secure the silver. Another silver medal was earned in Ju-Jitsu (Men’s Duo Show), where Mr Thanakon Kingchan and Mr Peerawat Srisupa combined their synchronisation and personal techniques to successfully win the silver for Khon Kaen University.
As for the bronze medal achievements, they were earned across various sports. Starting with the Men’s Team Chess (International Chess), Mr Jeerateep Raksi, Mr Thanakrit Leelad, Mr Teerat Namahut, and Mr Supharuek Sae-ui secured a bronze medal. This was followed by the Women’s Team Go, featuring Miss Siriyaporn Sama, Miss Supassorn Mooncheewa, and Miss Atchariya Kwiankhokngruad, who collaborated to achieve their bronze. Similarly, the Women’s Team Crossword, consisting of Pattrawadee Ngamtaku, Pimchanok Samerwai, Kantiwakorn Klinklan, and Sirikanya Panyadee, competed with full effort to successfully claim a bronze medal.
Furthermore, in Taekwondo (Women’s Individual Poomsae), Miss Orachaporn Chaibang, a first-year student from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, managed to win a bronze medal. This was notably the first medal to open the account for Khon Kaen University in this tournament. Another bronze medal came from Ju-Jitsu (Men’s Individual Tashi Waza, over 85 kg), where Mr Kankawee Chamnanche demonstrated outstanding strength and technical skill. These results have enabled Khon Kaen University to steadily climb the medal standings amid intense competition from higher education institutions nationwide, as the games entered their seventh day just before the final stretch.
Khon Kaen University would like to invite the “Mor Din Daeng” community and the public to join in sending encouragement to the Khon Kaen University athletic delegation at the 51st Thailand University Games, “Inthanin Games 2026”, held from 9 to 19 January 2026 at Maejo University, Chiang Mai Province. This is to continue building pride for the institution. For further news and updates, please follow the Facebook page : ทัพนักกีฬามหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น
