The only surprise is a recall for PT Prachuab striker Siroch Chatthong, who was not even recruited for the recently concluded AFF Suzuki Cup after a poor return of three goals in 24 national appearances stretching back to 2016.

The three musketeers – Teerasil, Theerathon Bunmathan and 2018 Thai FA Player of the Year winner Chanathip Songkrasin – have all been selected for the tournament which takes place in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1.

The Thai challenge will be spearheaded by 30-year-old Teerasil, who has scored an impressive 42 goals in 95 Thailand games.

Supachai, 20, who has three goals from just eight caps, will vie for a start with his idol Teerasil plus three other strikers –Adisak Kraisorn, Chananan Pombuppha and Siroch.

Among those to miss out are Peerapat Notchaiya, Shinnaphat Leeaoh and Supachok Sarachat, while O-Leuven goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan withdrew on Wednesday with a foot injury.

It’ll be Thailand’s first appearance in the Asian Cup finals in 12 years; the War Elephants will have their last warm-up game against Oman on January 5 before launching their Cup campaign against India on January 6 at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi (8.30pm Thailand time).

Their second game follows four days later against Bahrain at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai (6pm) and the final group game with the UAE on January 14 (11pm).

The 23-man Thailand squad is:

Goalkeepers: Siwarak Tedsungnoen, Chatchai Budprom, Saranon Anuin

Defenders: Korrakot Wiriyaudomsiri, Pansa Hemviboon, Chalermpong Kerdkaew, Tristan Do, Mika Chunuonsee, Adisorn Promrak, Theerathon Bunmathan and Suphan Thongsong

Midfielders: Sasalak Haiprakhon, Pokklaw Anan, Sumanya Purisai, Sanrawat Dechmitr, Tanaboon Kesarat, Thitipan Puangchan, Chanathip Songkrasin

Forwards: Supachai Jaided, Teerasil Dangda, Adisak Kraisorn, Chananan Pombuppha and Siroch Chatthong

The O-Leuven (Belgium League 2) player decided to pull out a day before the final squad was to be announced. He has not been able to join the training camp since returning from Europe two weeks ago.

“My condition is getting better but it’s not good enough to resume training. My trainer and I agreed that we shouldn’t take a risk. I regret I cannot play for the team but I will be back when I’m ready in the future,” Kawin said.

The 20-year-old Buriram United forward, one of the most promising young guns in the Kingdom, has been called up again by national coach Milovan Rajevac after delivering three goals for his team at AFF Championship earlier this month. But this time he will be joined by the “three musketeers” – Chanathip Songkrasin, Theerathon Bunmathan and his hero Teerasil, who have just returned from playing in Japan’s J-League. “He [Teerasil] is like a brother and a role model for me,” said the well-built Supachai, who stands 183cm tall. “It’s such an honour to be training with him and with Chanathip and Theerathon who are both classy players.”

The Pattani-born player is confident the return of the three stars will help the national team survive the group stage, from which 16 teams – the top two teams from each of the six groups plus the four best third-placed teams – will qualify for the next stage. Thailand has been drawn in Group A alongside India, Bahrain and the UAE.

“This is a good opportunity to learn from these experienced players. Having them will make us stronger, as they can fill the gaps that were present in the AFF Championship,” added Supachai, who also scored two goals in August’s Asian Games.

Rajvevac will evaluate the players’ performance from a warm-up game against Thai Honda FC (Thai League 2) last night before announcing his 23-man squad this morning.

The squad will make the trip to the UAE on December 30.

“Thailand are returning to the Asian Cup Finals for the first time in 12 years. Everybody is working hard, which makes the situation at the camp quite competitive,” said Supachai.

The Kingdom will play  Oman on January 5 as their last tune-up for the Asian Cup which starts on January 5. They will take on India on January 6 at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi at 8.30pm Bangkok time.

The second game against Bahrain is due on January 10 at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai at 6pm and the final group game with IAE at the Hazzan bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain at 11pm.

The 19-year-old traded eight birdies against one bogey to take his place atop the leaderboard together with six other players that include compatriot Kwanchai Tannin, China’s Xiao Bowen, Sweden’s Christoffer Baumann, Korea’s Taewoo Kim, Jaewoong Eom and Japan’s Daisuke Yasumoto.

Born to a Japanese father and Thai mother, Kosuke was feeling the pressure of earning his Asian Tour card ahead of his Qualifying School campaign this week. But after hitting his first tee shot on the back-nine 10, he managed to stay composed and was duly rewarded with a birdie on the next hole.

Hamamoto’s only blemish came on the 14th hole when he three-putted for a bogey-four. He turned in 33 before completing a flawless inward-nine with five birdies for a 64.

Xiao is meanwhile hoping to make his quick return to the Asian Tour having missed out on his card when he finished in 113th place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. The Chinese claimed his stunning breakthrough on home soil at the Asian Golf Championship last year but found little success this season, having missed the cut in 14 of his 22 starts.

Baumann is determined to make his fifth trip to Qualifying School a successful one having missed out on securing his Tour card in his last four attempts while Choo, who first earned his Tour card in 2013 when he finished tied-31st, is optimistic of turning his season around by regaining his card this week.

American Austen Truslow, who counts playing on the Asian Tour as his number one goal, set himself well for the next four rounds after returning with a 67 at the Lakeview Resort and Golf Club.

After making his safe passage from the first stage, Truslow will be hoping to be one of the leading 140 players and ties to progress again after tomorrow’s round.

The field will be cut to the leading 70 players and ties after 72 holes who will then play the final round. At the conclusion of 90 holes, the leading 35 players (+ ties) will be ranked accordingly for the 2019 season.

The Bangkok Glass star is among 27 players called for the ongoing camp at the Windmill Football Club before the final 23-man squad is announced on Thursday.

The 25-year-old player admitted there was a competitive atmosphere at the camp as everyone knows four of the probables won’t make it for the trip to the United Arab Emirates. The tournament starts on January 5.

Physical training, he said, is what players had been told to concentrate on.

“The coach thinks we will need a lot of energy for the tournament. So, fitness is very important; we haven’t focused much on the tactical aspects yet,” said Thitiphan, who was a part of the recent AFF Cup team where Thailand, as two-time defending champions, crashed out in the semi-finals on the away-goal rule to Malaysia.

“We made several mistakes in the AFF Cup. The players and the coaching team are well aware of that and we have been working hard to fix them,” said Thitiphan, who has scored only one national goal this season – in a friendly game against Trinidad and Tobago in Suphanburi two months ago.

However , with the return of three other key international players – Thai FA Player of the Year Chanathip Songkrasin, Teerasil Dangda and Teerathon Bunmathan – Thitiphan sees the team getting stronger.

“They will all make up for what he were missing in the AFF Cup. They will make our team more competitive,” he added.

Thailand’s best attempt in the quadrennial Asian event was a third-place finish in 1972 as the host country. The team, in Group A along with hosts UAE, India and Bahrain, is expected to reach the round of 16. Only the top two nations from each of the six groups, plus the four best third-placed teams will reach the second round (16 teams).

“The Asian Cup is a big tournament and all players hope to be a part of it as it’s a dream competition for us. I expect our team to make the cut so that I can help the team pursue our goal,’ he said.

Thailand play India on January 6, Bahrain on January 10 and the UAE on January 14.

Hideyuki ‘Andy’ Hata has been named President of ONE Championship, Japan. Andy will be responsible for overseeing operations in Japan, driving development and growth across all key metrics.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am thrilled to welcome Andy Hata to our leadership team at ONE Championship. Andy is a world-class business leader with a deep passion for sports and a desire to make a big impact on the world. He brings strong startup and global leadership experience, hands-on intellectual firepower, and a proven championship track record of commercial performance.”

Hideyuki ‘Andy’ Hata, President of ONE Championship, Japan, stated: “I am excited and honored to be a part of a billion dollar global property like ONE Championship that is focused on and committed to celebrating Asian values on a global stage. I look forward to expanding the opportunities ONE Championship has in a market rich in the tradition of martial arts, as well as bringing ONE Championship’s brand of world-class entertainment to Japanese fans across the country.”

Andy is currently the President of Nielsen Sports, North Asia, where he is responsible for all of Nielsen Sports’ business activities in Japan, South Korea, and Mainland China. Prior to joining Nielsen Sports, Andy led a number of global projects with Sony Corporation and was part of Sony’s global partnership team with FIFA where he spearheaded their global activation strategy for all FIFA tournaments, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  Andy owns a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Meiji University.

Andy is also a recognizable figure and respected voice in the Japanese sports industry, often speaking on television as well as at industry forums and events.

With ONE Championship, Andy will be responsible for driving day-to-day operations, focused specifically on Japan. Andy’s global domain expertise in both business development and sports will play a vital role as he oversees all areas of the business, including the execution of key strategic projects, strengthening relationships and partnerships, growth and expansion, and daily operations.

ONE Championship is set to enter the Japanese market in 2019 with its first event ONE: A NEW ERA taking place Sunday, 31 March at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and a second event, ONE: GREATNESS UNLEASHED, to be held in October 2019.

The Serb tumbled out of the top 10 for the first time in a decade and was ranked as lowly as 22nd in June, slumping to a string of uncharacteristic defeats — including an embarrassing loss to Italian journeyman Marco Cecchinato at the French Open — following elbow surgery to fix a lingering injury.

Over the next few months though Djokovic surged back to his all-conquering best, sweeping to Wimbledon and US Open crowns and completing a historic Masters sweep with an elusive victory in Cincinnati.

“There was always part of me that believed I could make it back and I never thought it was impossible,” Djokovic said of his climb back to world number one.

“It turned to out to be a perfect five months of the year, with two Grand Slam titles.”

Roger Federer continued to defy his advancing years as he defended his Australian Open title and then eclipsed Andre Agassi as the oldest top-ranked player in ATP history, at the age of 36.

Rafael Nadal dominated in typical fashion on clay, swaggering to an 11th Roland Garros title, but the injury-plagued Spaniard limped out of two other Grand Slams before further fitness problems curtailed his season.

He played in just nine tournaments, his fewest since 2002, yet still won five titles and compiled a commanding 45-4 record.

– Flushing Meadows meltdown –

Serena Williams returned to the court after her 14-month maternity leave, battling back from life-saving surgery, but twice fell agonisingly short of landing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown.

She required a series of operations to free her from the risk of blood clots in the wake of giving birth to her daughter in September 2017, a scare that prompted her to sport an eye-catching black catsuit at Roland Garros.

She finished runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open, but it was the nature of her defeat in New York that will stick in the memory after a meltdown in the final against Japan’s Naomi Osaka.

Williams erupted after a code violation for receiving coaching from her box, and subsequently called chair umpire Carlos Ramos a “liar and a thief” after she incurred a one-point penalty for racquet abuse.

The American later described the decision to then hit her with a game penalty following her tear-filled tirade as “sexist”.

An astonishingly poised Osaka held her nerve to seal victory and become the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, but the 20-year-old was reduced to tears when a pro-Williams crowd booed the trophy ceremony announcers.

Fortunately, Williams gracefully intervened and called for them to show the young champion respect.

– Halep, Wozniacki end wait –

In a season of firsts, Simona Halep eased the pain of three previous major finals defeats, to follow in the footsteps of her manager Virginia Ruzici, 40 years on, by claiming the French Open championship.

Caroline Wozniacki’s patience yielded her maiden Grand Slam triumph too, the Dane taking the Australian Open title to briefly return to world number one.

However, she later revealed her battle with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease which causes swelling of the joints and fatigue, following her diagnosis ahead of the US Open.

Angelique Kerber completed the third leg of a career Grand Slam by battering past Williams to become the first German woman to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1996.

The season also marked the end of the 118-year Davis Cup in its traditional format, with a revamped version of the competition next November bringing together 18 nations in one place for a week.

Kevin Anderson’s 26-24 defeat of John Isner in the fifth set of this year’s Wimbledon semi-finals prompted another rethink, leading the All England Club to introduce a tie-break to settle matches that reach 12-all in the decider.

“It is bucking tradition but I think a lot of people believe that is not a bad thing,” Isner said in the wake of the rule change.

Similarly, a 10-point tie-break will be used in the final set at the Australian Open, where Federer will eye his 100th career title.

Following is a look at ten great moments from women’s sport in 2018:

Groundbreaking Kim

February 12

— American Chloe Kim, then only 17, went into the women’s Olympic snowboarding halfpipe competition as a red-hot favourite and did not disappoint. She finished almost 10 points clear of China’s silver medallist Liu Jiayu, becoming the youngest woman to land two consecutive 1,080-degree spins at an Olympics.

Zagitova dazzles

February 23

— Figure skater Zagitova produced a series of jaw-dropping displays in the 2017/18 season, culminating in a magnificent gold-medal winning performance in Pyeongchang at the age of just 15. The Russian broke the world record in the short programme and narrowly held off compatriot Evgenia Medvedeva after a dramatic free skate competition.

Shiffrin dominates

March 17

— Alpine skiing star Shiffrin sealed her second straight overall World Cup title in style, signing off with a 12th victory of the season in the closing slalom in Are, Sweden. The 23-year-old Olympic giant slalom champion has already opened up a 501-point gap in the new campaign after taking her staggering haul of World Cup career wins to 50.

Lyon’s third in a row

May 24

— Lyon won their third straight women’s Champions League crown with a 4-1 extra-time victory over Wolfsburg in Kiev. The French side were held to a goalless draw in 90 minutes, but Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg was among the scorers as they netted four times in the extra half-hour to add to their 2016 and 2017 titles.

Ariya hangs on

June 3

— Thai golfer Ariya Jutanugarn overcame a back-nine collapse to grab her second major title at the US Open. The 23-year-old led by seven shots at the halfway stage of the final round before dropping five shots in the closing holes, only to edge out South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo in a play-off. Ariya will end the year as the world number one.

Asher-Smith’s flying treble

August 12

— Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith delivered on her undoubted potential with a stunning treble of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay golds at the European athletics championships in Berlin. The then 22-year-old set new world leads and national records in both the individual events, clocking 10.85sec and 21.89sec in the 100 and 200 respectively.

Osaka stuns Serena

September 8

— Japanese youngster Osaka announced herself on the world stage by lengthening Serena Williams’ wait for a record-equalling 24th tennis Grand Slam singles title. The 21-year-old overpowered the home favourite 6-2, 6-4 to take her first major tournament victory, although the match was overshadowed by Williams’ infamous outburst at umpire Carlos Ramos.

Biles back to her best

November 1

— Over two years since winning four gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, pocket dynamo Biles claimed four titles at the artistic gymnastics world championships. The American, who took a one-year hiatus in 2017, suffered with kidney stones the night before the qualification rounds in Doha, but brushed that aside to clinch a record fourth all-around world crown.

Australia back on top

November 24

— Australia’s women’s cricket team won a record-extending fourth World Twenty20 title in the Caribbean, ending a brief barren spell. They avenged their 2016 final loss to the West Indies in the last four, before thrashing England by eight wickets to lift the trophy.

Hegerberg wins Ballon d’Or

December 3

— The 23-year-old Hegerberg was rewarded for her excellent season and Champions League exploits by being named the inaugural women’s Ballon d’Or winner. She had to bat away a question from host Martin Solveig asking her if she knew how to ‘twerk’ at an awkward awards ceremony in Paris.

It was an eventful year for golf fans, with Woods’ return adding a sub-plot to the bigger tournaments, even as many of the younger generation confirmed their respective rises to the top of the game.

Justin Thomas’ spectacular eagle on the final hole at the WGC Mexico Championship kicked off the season in style, and although the 25-year-old lost out to veteran Phil Mickelson that day in a play-off, three major titles went to Americans under the age of 30.

Woods, who claimed his first tournament victory since 2013 in front of raucous galleries at the Tour Championship, ended his year with four straight Ryder Cup losses and a defeat by Mickelson in their overly-hyped and ultimately low-quality $9 million match in Las Vegas.

But nothing can take away from the impact the 14-time major winner made on his return after over four years spent battling injuries.

The 42-year-old led on the back nine in the fourth round of the British Open at Carnoustie, and also produced a thrilling charge at the USPGA Championship before ending his title drought in the final individual event of the campaign.

As ever, the former world number one will be bullish about his chances of edging closer to Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18 major titles in 2019, but Woods has still not lifted one of golf’s biggest prizes for a decade.

A rise from outside the top 1,000 in the rankings to world number 13 in less than a year was stunning, though, and Woods will have a chance to put a disastrous Ryder Cup performance behind him when he likely doubles up as captain and player at next year’s Presidents Cup in Melbourne.

“I want to compete. I want to play,” he said of the December 2019 matches against Ernie Els’ International side earlier this month.

– ‘Moliwood’ star on centre stage –

The pre-Ryder Cup narrative centred around Woods and the Americans’ bid to end a 25-year wait for victory on European soil, but the matchplay showdown ended in a familiar one-sided home win as Molinari teamed up with Tommy Fleetwood to devastating effect in September.

‘Moliwood’ reeled off four straight victories as a partnership, with Thomas Bjorn’s hosts ruthlessly grinding down the US to triumph 17.5-10.5 after losing the opening session, before Molinari capped a golden year by becoming the first European in history to claim a perfect five points.

The Italian won the prestigious BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, clinched his first PGA Tour title in the States and became the first player from his country to seal a major title before his heroics in France.

“If someone told me I would go on to win Wentworth, win on the PGA Tour, win the Open, five points at the Ryder Cup, I probably would have laughed,” he said after adding the European Tour’s Race to Dubai crown in November.

Brooks Koepka bristled late in the season at a perceived lack of media attention in his game after a magnificent 2018 which saw the 28-year-old brush off the disappointment of missing the Masters through injury by winning two majors.

He and the likes of Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Masters champion Patrick Reed will be young Americans to watch in the new year, with exciting Spaniard Jon Rahm seeking to continue his incredible rise.

The men’s season will have a more truncated feel to it with all four majors being played between April and July after drastic changes to the schedule, with the USPGA to be played before the US Open, making the British Open at Royal Portrush the final major of the year.

– Lindberg, Park fight duel in the dark –

It was a strong year for women’s golf, with England’s Georgia Hall and Swede Pernilla Lindberg sealing thrilling major breakthroughs at the British Open and ANA Inspiration respectively.

Hall also teamed up with compatriot Charley Hull to impress in a mixed-gender European Tour event, while Lexi Thompson showcased her skills on the PGA Tour in the QBE Shootout alongside Tony Finau earlier this month.

The standout moment of 2018 came back at the start of April, though, when Lindberg denied Park Inbee an eighth major crown in a gruelling eight-hole, sudden-death play-off that started in Sunday-night gloom and ended on the Monday morning.

The world’s best will return to Dinah Shore for the year’s first major in just three months’ time, only weeks before all eyes turn to Augusta National.

At 17, Bedi is the youngest player to be teeing up at the Lakeview Resort and Golf Club where he will be among the 242 players vying to finish inside the top-35 and ties in the five-round final stage.

The Indian, who turned professional in September, believes his youth will put him in good stead for life on the Asian Tour as he starts to make his transition from the amateur ranks to professional.

Bedi hopes to signal his arrival on the big stage with a performance he can be proud and pass this week’s gruelling test with flying colours.

Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto also harbours hopes of making the grade and join the growing legion of Thai greats.

Born to a Japanese father and Thai mother, Kosuke finished tied-11th at Queen’s Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation earlier this month and believes that result has given him the much-needed confidence to excel this week.

Pakistan’s Hamza Amin, who came agonisingly close to regaining his Tour card in his last two occasions at Qualifying School, is determined to make amends and end his year on a high note by regaining his Tour card on Sunday.

Hamza first earned his Tour card through Qualifying School in 2014 but subsequently lost it when he ended that year in 165th place on the Order of Merit.