Thailand's time: Chanatip Deeman and his ASEAN Para Games success

It’s 0-0 with ten minutes to play in the 2025 ASEAN Para Games Final in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. 

The hosts are level with Myanmar, and the watching public waits for a hero to step up. When one eventually does, it is the man they might have expected.

Chanatip Deeman is a player who has earned a reputation for his dazzling skills and ability to find a goal when needed, and this one brought unbridled joy for his country.

“The moment [I] scored a goal, it meant a lot to the team,” Deeman said.

“It meant a lot to us, proof of the team’s improvement over the past 11 months. We had a great time celebrating with fans we hadn’t had in a long time.

“Many fans came to congratulate us.”

The 2025 ASEAN Para Games, which were in fact held in January 2026, brought the best of Southeast Asia to Thailand. 2025 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Cup combatants Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand battled with Myanmar and the Philippines. Yanuar Dhuma’s Indonesia took home the bronze medal, defeating the Malaysians 7-0.

As a star of the region, Deeman welcomes the chance to play and grow the game, understanding that the standard will improve the more competitive matches are played.

“It is important to compete at the ASEAN level, which is open to new players to play, learn and experience in order to develop the competition.

“The world soccer level will increase.”

22-year-old Deeman has accomplished things that contemporaries his age can only dream of: playing at three IFCPF Men’s World Cups (including a tournament debut at 15), multiple Asia-Oceania events and now, success on the ASEAN stage in front of a home crowd.

It is a crowning moment for Deeman in a career that has flourished right since his competitive debut in Seville seven years ago, with his upbringing and the opportunities with the IFCPF key drivers in his personal career.

“I regularly enjoy sports in my free time. I didn’t know about CP Football before, until an adult recommended me to try playing it to see if I liked it.

“IFCPF is a big program that is very challenging and has a lot of good experiences…making it easy for the team to fight at the ASEAN level.”

Despite all he has achieved, Deeman has a clear goal in mind, one as clear as the goal he scored to win the Para ASEAN Games in January. 

With his country ranked inside the top 16 ahead of the IFCPF Men’s World Cup in the United States later this year, an improvement on the 14th-placed finish in Salou in 2024 is in his sights.

“Hopefully, we can continue with the team in the future and aim to bring the Thailand team to the top 10 in the World Cup.”

If Chanatip Deeman has anything to say about it, Thailand might just give those at the top table a run for it in October. Keep your eye out.

By Oliver Walker-Peel (@olliewalkerpeel)