BMA Nurtures Young Go Masters 753 Students Battle at 'Chang Noi Games'
(July 17, 2025) - Bangkok's municipal schools gathered 753 young minds for the 36th 'Little Elephant Games,' fostering strategic thinking and sportsmanship through the ancient game of Go.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is cultivating a new generation of strategic thinkers, as 753 students from across the city competed fiercely in the Go category of the 36th 'Chang Noi Games' (Little Elephant Games) for BMA-affiliated schools.
Saenyakorn Ounmeesri, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the BMA, officially opened the competition today at Thai Niyomsongkhro School in Bang Khen District.
Addressing the young participants, he emphasised that the true value of sports lies beyond winning.
"In sports, the most important thing is not just the outcome, but the opportunity to participate, learn, develop yourselves, and truly grasp the spirit of sportsmanship," he remarked. "May all athletes be proud of their efforts, because these will become invaluable life experiences."
The Go competition, held from 15th to 17th July 2025, aimed to promote students' well-being, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and teach them to understand victory, defeat, and forgiveness.
Crucially, it also served to enhance their analytical thinking and planning abilities. The event will also select talented athletes to represent Bangkok in upcoming local government competitions.
Participants, hailing from 55 schools across 32 districts, competed in five categories: individual male, individual female, individual male special education, individual female special education, male team, female team, and mixed team (male-female). Students were divided into six age groups, ranging from under 8 to under 18 years old.
The opening ceremony saw attendance from senior BMA executives, officials from Bang Khen District, school administrators, representatives from the Thai Go Association, CP All Public Company Limited, and the Bangkok Teachers Go Club.
