Golden day

The medals were won in the men and women’s sepak takraw, which was followed by the women’s golf team winning an historic gold medal.
Adding to the jubilation, Thailand’s men’s football team beat Jordan in the quarter-finals yesterday.
The first week of the Games proceeded in a disappointing fashion for Thailand, which produced just one gold medal courtesy of tenpin bowler Yannaphoon Larp-Apharat and 10 bronze medals in weightlifting, skeet and trap, rowing and judo.
But the country’s athletes restored national pride yesterday, starting with the women’s sepak takraw team, which claimed gold with a 2-0 win in the final against arch-rival Myanmar.
The first regu team of Masaya Duangsri, Wanwisa Jankaen, Fuengfa Praphatsarang and substitute Payom Srihongsa took the first point for Thailand with a 2-1 win before Somruedee Pruepruk, Kaewjai Pumsawangkaew and Sunthari Rupsung combined in the second regu match to close the deal 2-0.
Thailand has now won the women’s team event at four successive Games.
A few hours later Thailand’s women’s golf team made the country proud again with victory at the Dream Park Country Club.
The awesome threesome of Budsabakorn Sukapan, Supamas Sangchan and Benyapa Niphatsophon fired a superb combined 38-under 538 to win Thailand’s first ever golf gold medal at the Asian Games.
The 17-year-old Budsabakorn also picked up a silver medal in the individual event with an 18-under 270, which was one stroke behind South Korean gold medallist Park Gyeol.
Supamas claimed bronze with a 14-under 274.
Later, the men’s sepak takraw team emulated the women’s team when it beat South Korea 2-0 in the final.
The first regu team comprising Auwat Chaichana, Sittipong Khamchan, Pattarapong Yupadee won the first point with a 2-0 win before Pornchai Kaokaew, Suriyan Peachan and Siriwat Sakha added the second point with a 2-0 win.
The men’s team has captured the gold medal at five consecutive Games.
Thailand’s men’s football team caused a stir after its 2-0 win over Jordan and will take on hosts South Korea in the semi-final on Tuesday.
The Kingdom will try to move beyond the semi-final stage for the first time at the Games after losing three times in the semi-finals in 1990, 1998 and 2002.
Thailand secured another silver after the women’s beach volleyball lost 2-0 to China in the final yesterday while the men’s doubles tennis team of Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana lost in the semi-finals to Indians Saketh Myneni and Sanam Singh two sets to one and had to be content with the bronze.
Despite now having grabbed four gold medals, Thailand is still far off the target of up to 15 gold medals set by the Sports Authority of Thailand. With only six days to go, that target appears to be a mission impossible.
Some sports in which Thailand hoped to win like shooting and badminton yielded no medals while the country’s weightlifters contributed three bronze medals but none of the targeted gold.
However, more gold could come through the men’s and women’s regu sepak takraw teams and in sailing. Boxing and taekwondo are also expected to produce medals.
The Kingdom also has a medal shot in women’s tennis as Luksika Kumkhum will compete for gold in the singles and doubles.
Today she and Tamarine Tanasugarn will face 2014 Wimbledon champion Hsieh Su-wei and Chan Chin-wei of Taiwan in the doubles final and tomorrow she meets China’s Wang Qiang in the singles final.