Staff members raise the Thailand national flag during a flag-raising ceremony in Changchun, capital of China's Jilin Province, Jan. 24, 2007. Thailand Sports Delegation of the 6th Winter Asian Games is the first delegation that raise the national flag.(Xinhua Photo/Xu Jiajun) Photo Gallery>>>

Members of Thailand Sports Delegation witness their national flag raising during a flag-raising ceremony in Changchun, capital of China's Jilin Province, Jan. 24, 2007. (Xinhua Photo/Xu Jiajun) Photo Gallery>>>

    CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thailand became the first to raise flag among the countries and regions to compete in the 6th Winter Asian Games here on Wednesday.

    The tropical country, which sent a 46-strong team to the biggest ever Winter Asian Games, was aiming to join and learn at the Asian jamboree, said Supitr Samahito, chef-de-Mission of the Thailand team.

    "Thailand does not specialize in winter sports, but as a member of Asia, we'd like to promote the Olympic movement around the world by joining big events," Samahito told Xinhua on Wednesday at the Changchun International Conference and Exhibition Center, where the flag-raising ceremony was held.

    Nearly 10,000 thousand out of 63 million people in Thailand are going in for the winter sports, mostly on ice for a country with average temperature around 24 to 30 degrees centigrade, according to Samahito.

    "We do not have snow, but ice is what we can make, so we will focus mainly on ice sports at the Asian Games."

    "Most of our players are younglings, they are here to race and learn as well, and all we need to do is try our best," she added.

    Ice hockey is one of their favorites.

    "People in this country are so addicted in ice hockey, and they are willing to dedicate themselves to the sport," said American Michael Rolanti, head coach of the Thailand ice hockey team at the ceremony.

    "But we are facing an uphill task at the Winter Asian Games as the whole team was in shortage of facilities while training home and we don't have much players in hand," said Rolanti, who has just been coaching the team for three months.

    "The team has up-and-down in form, but the bottom line is winning at least three matches at the Asian Games."