TVA denies bias after Thai team’s pictures with Pita

The Thailand Volleyball Association (TVA) on Saturday distanced itself from a political controversy after the women’s national team took photos with Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party leader and its prime ministerial candidate after a midweek match.

On Thursday, Mr Pita and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, co-founders of the Progressive Movement which assisted heavily with the MFP campaign, sat in the front zone to watch the 2023 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) match between Thailand and Turkey at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.

After the game, Mr Pita went on the court and took group photos with the players. It led to criticism from netizens over the political stance of the TVA.

In response, the association said it had always had a quota of 40 seats per match reserved for those who…