{
  "id": 11415248,
  "title": "Thailand’s Puripol named men’s MVP of Asian Games",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/thailands-puripol-named-mens-mvp-of-asian-games",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T10:25:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Khaosod English",
    "slug": "khaosod-english",
    "url": "https://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2026/10/02/thailands-puripol-named-mens-mvp-of-asian-games/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson has been named the men's Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, following his gold medal victories in the 100m and 200m events. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) awarded Puripol, with the official recognition set to be presented on October 4th. He shattered Asian Games records in both races, achieving a 200m time of 19.88 seconds that matched the Asian record. Puripol also claimed silver in the mixed 4x100m relay. The OCA grants an MVP honor to one male and one female athlete at each Asian Games. The women's MVP for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 edition has yet to be officially announced. Puripol's award, worth US$25,000 (approximately 830,000 baht), makes him the first athlete from outside China, Japan, and South Korea to receive the men's MVP since its inception in 1998. The first MVP award was given at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, initially as a combined male and female prize, which were later separated in 2022. Notable past recipients include Japan's Koji Ito in 1998, Kosuke Kitajima in 2002, Park Tae-hwan of South Korea in 2006, China's Lin Dan in 2010, Kosuke Hagino of Japan in 2014, and Rikako Ikee of Japan in 2018. In 2022, Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei of China were honored as the men's and women's MVPs respectively.",
  "summary": "Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson has been selected as the men’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, following his gold-medal performances in the 100m and 200m. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) selected Puripol for the award, with the official presentation scheduled for 4 October. Puripol set new Asian Games records in […] The post Thailand’s Puripol named men’s MVP of…",
  "key_points": [
    "Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson named MVP of 2026 Asian Games.",
    "Puripol won gold in 100m and 200m, setting new Asian records.",
    "US$25,000 prize makes him first non-CHINA/JAPAN/South Korea male MVP since 1998."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
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      {
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/asian-games-pakistan-settle-for-squash-silver-as-iran-end-volleyball",
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      },
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/malaysia-chase-record-10th-asian-games-gold",
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      },
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/from-2-9-down-to-10-9-sujeets-epic-comeback-wins-asian-games-gold-for",
        "published": "2026-10-02T12:11:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ProPakistani",
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        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pakistan-wins-silver-medal-in-asian-games-mens-squash",
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      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}