Fast track to gold

Thailand’s men set a new record of 38.90 seconds to successfully defend their title in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Thailand broke their previous SEA record of 38.95, set in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2007. Their victory was very welcome after the Thai women surrendered their sprint relay gold to Vietnam, crossing the line in 44.62 seconds to Vietnam’s 43.88, also an SEA record.

Thailand also won three gold medals in athletics, two gold medals in tennis, one in sepak takraw, one in shooting, one indoor hockey and a surprise one in swimming.

In athletics,  Sunisa Khotseemueang won the women’s heptathlon after she scored 5,430 points to beat Emilia Nova of Indonesia (5,386) in the final. Wassana Winatho came at third with 5,288.

Sunisa Khotseemueang and Wassana Winatho 

Peerachet Jantra threw to the distance of 71.49 metres to win the gold men’s javelin medal for three successive times. Chayanisa Chomchuendee also won her third straight women’s pole vault title.

Peerachet Jantra

The Kingdom’s sepak takraw team captured their fourth Kuala Lumpur SEA Games gold, the men’s quadrant squad beating Myanmar 21-18 21-19 in the final.

Spearheaded by star veteran  Pornchai Kaokaew, who had already bagged two golds from the men’s regu team and men’s doubles, Thailand proved the stronger side at a crucial stage to win the showdown. The other sepak takraw for Thailand came from men’s chinlone event 1 and women’s regu.

As the event was included in the Games for the first time, national team manager Kamol Tankimhong encouraged his side to maximize their effort to claim the rare gold medal which could be removed from the next episode in 2019.

“Actually Myanmar and Malaysia should be stronger than us in this event as they are more familiar with this event while we just started practising not so long ago. So I told my players to be put extra efforts to win.

Once they had less pressure, they brought their best form,” Kamol said.

Men's quadrant team

For 36-year-old Pornchai he has won a total 14 SEA Games gold medals after representing Thailand in eight Games ppearances.

“I have to plan to retire as I love competing under the national flag. I plan to win up to 20 gold medals,” he said.

Thailand still have one more event in speak takraw in men’s doubles team to go for gold.

In tennis, Peantarn Plipuech and Nicha Lertpitaksinchai won gold, beating teammates Luksika Kumkhum and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 1-6 6-3 10-8.

“Although it was an all-Thai final, we gave our all. It was a very close final and only a few points made the difference,” said Thai No2 Peangtarn.

Nicha, Peangtarn, Noppawan and Luksika.

For Thai No1 Luksika she still has one more chance to add another gold medal in the singles final today against Anna Clarice Patrimoni of the Philippines.

“It’s OK that I took the silver - in the end the gold medal still belongs to Thailand. As for my singles final, I will try hard to win for Thailand,” said the 24-year-old, whos is competing in her maiden SEA Games.

The other tennis gold came in the men’s doubles, where Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwattana beat Francis Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales of the Philippines 6-4 2-6 10-7

In shooting, Napis Tortungpanich won the men’s three-position rifle after firing 444.7 points, his second medal of these Games after taking the bronze in the air rifle individual.

It was his first individual gold medal as his previous three came from team events.

“I had an incredible day. I got to talk to my mother for the first time before the competition this morning as she normally work up later than me. Her support really helped me mentally,” he said.

Napis Tortungpanich 

In women’s indoor hockey team, Thailand won the gold medal in the Games for the first time in 35 years.

In swimming, Phiangkwan Pawapotago set the new SEA Games record of 2:29.58  minutes to win the women’s 200m breaststroke followed by Thianh Vien Nguyen of Vietnam with 2:30.89.