The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide support to the Table Tennis Association of Thailand (TTAT) to enhance the potential of athletes and the Thai table tennis industry. Moreover, SET has leveraged the power of collaboration by bringing 16 listed companies together to lend support to 19 sports associations as a part of the effort to drive the Thai sports industry to become the country's soft power, under the guideline for collaboration in supporting sports associations, in line with government policies.
SET Senior Executive Vice President Rongrak Phanapavudhikul said that the support for TTAT is part of SET's continuous endeavor to forge future for all sectors, aligning with the concept "Make it 'Work' for Every Future" as SET is entering its 50th year of operation this year. SET's activities encompass social and environmental care, while simultaneously striving to enhance the quality of life for the public. In terms of sports, SET has consistently supported TTAT for 11 consecutive years through the SET Star Table Tennis project, aimed at nurturing Thai athletes and advancing the table tennis industry holistically. SET has also supported Thai national table tennis athletes to compete in the world ranking tournaments to climb the rankings. This dedication has led to notable achievements, with Thai national table tennis athletes and Thai national para table tennis athletes secured medals in diverse regional and global competitions. Notably, the women's national table tennis team secured a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in France for the first time ever, marking a significant milestone for Thai table tennis.
“In accordance with a request made by the State Enterprise Policy Office’s the policy committee to support sports associations from state enterprises and the private sector for collaboration from diverse sectors in pushing sports to become the country’s important soft power, SET as one of the organizations in the capital market sector has taken part in supporting the sports advancement. To align with the commitment, SET signs MoU to provide financial support to TTAT and also serves as a mechanism for connecting business organizations in the capital market sector to jointly drive the sports industry to grow in a sustainable manner. SET has approached 16 listed companies to offer funding support amounting to over THB 59 million (approx. USD 1.62 million) to the 19 sports associations. Supporting sports not only elevates the Thai sports industry to be outstanding and internationally recognized but also develops careers for athletes, coaches, referees, sports science experts, and other related professions. Essentially, the important by-product of this participation is the contribution to promoting good health of the people,” said Rongrak.
In addition, SET also aims to promote table tennis as a sport for all genders and ages under the campaign "Table Tennis Creates Happiness, Fun for All Ages". SET, TTAT and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have collaborated to develop sports centers or certain areas managed by the BMA. These centers provide facilities for playing table tennis, making the sport easily accessible to the public. This collaborative concept has also expanded to communities in other provinces, such as building sports fields and giving table tennis tables and equipment, as well as training coaches to Ban Sam Kha School, Lampang Province and Ban Oi Wittayakan School, Phrae Province to promote health and sports skills among children, teachers, and community dwellers.
Listed companies that provide supports to the 19 sports association are as follows:
- Bangkok Bank pcl
- BCPG pcl
- B. Grimm Power pcl
- Central Pattana pcl
- Central Retail Corporation pcl
- Chaopraya Manahakorn pcl
- Energy Absolute pcl
- Jaymart Group Holdings pcl
- JMT Network Services pcl
10. Kasikornbank pcl
11. Krungthai Bank pcl
12. Osotspa pcl
13. Property Perfect pcl
14. Thai Oil pcl
15. TOA Paint (Thailand) pcl
16. Warrix Sport pcl
Listed companies interested in supporting sports association, please contact Sports Authority of Thailand
