Pitaya simply sensational in Indonesia

Record-breaking weightlifters and experienced sailors yesterday helped Thailand overtake Vietnam for second place overall at the 26th South East Asian Games.

Hosts Indonesia continued their stunning success and remained unreachable on the medal tally. But the Thai team did not let their supporters down, winning several gold medals in major events, including weightlifing.

Powerful weightlifters not only made a perfect sweep of four gold medals on offer yesterday but also rewrote all SEA Games records in the men’s 85kg, below-95kg, 105kg and over-105kg classes.

At the GOR Bulu Tangkis, Jakabaring Sports Complex, Pitaya Tibnoke handed Thailand their first weightlifting gold in the men’s 85kg class yesterday when he snatched 149kg, lifted a SEA Games record of 189kg for an aggregate 338kg, also a Games record in the Olympic Total.

Indonesian Samuel Shendy Latu and Vietnamese Hoang Tan Tai lifted 311kg and 310kg to claim the silver and bronze medals respectively.

In the men’s below-94kg class, title-holder Suthiphon Wattanakasikam, at his third SEA Games, is no stranger to the record books. The 26-year-old from Nakhon Sawan set the arena alight with record-shattering performances to set new Games standards in all three events yesterday.

After snatching a new Games record of 169kg, Suthiphon continued his smashing form to lift 193kg for the new clean and jerk standard and later set a new Games record of 362kg in the Olympic Total.

Vietnam’s Tran Van Hoa and Filipino Christopher A Bure took home silver and bronze medals after lifting 320kg and 288kg in the Olympic Total.

Hefty Kwanchai Nuchpum followed his team-mate Suthiphon’s footsteps to succeed in the men’s 105kg class. In his fourth SEA Games, Kwanchai lifted 157kg in the snatch, 196kg in the clean and jerk and 353kg in the Olympic Total, all new SEA Games records, to capture the gold medal as expected.

Indonesian Bayu Saputra and Malaysian Firdaus took silver and bronze medals by lifting aggregates of 338kg and 328kg respectively in the Olympic Total.

Surapong Watthanakasikam later gave Thailand a clean sweep when he came up with an snatch of 160kg before lifting a SEA Games record of 201kg in jerk for a combined effort of 361kg in the Olympic Total, also another new SEA Games standard.

Malaysian Azim took silver with lifts of 345kg, with Filipino Richard Pep Agosto claiming the bronze with aggregate lifts of 330kg.

Meanwhile, the final day of sailing off Ancol-Marina Jakarta saw competitors battle wind and sea for nine gold medals.

At the completion of racing yesterday, Thai sailors stamped their authority by capturing eight medals, including four gold and three silver. Singapore finished second overall with four gold, one silver and three bronze. Indonesia took the remaining gold in the women’s Mistral OD class.

Keerati Bualong, the Laser Radial gold medallist at last year’s Guangzhou Games, showed superb skill to take gold in the men’s Laser.

Navin Singsrart captured Thailand’s second sailing gold by winning the men’s Mistral OD class. Thai sailors also swept both gold in the men’s and women’s RSX division, with Siripon Kaewduang taking the women’s crown. Experienced Ek Boonsawad thrashed all challengers by storming home first in all 10 races to secure the men’s RSX gold.

Meanwhile, Thai cueist Thepchaiya Un Nooh pulled out a scintillating 4-1 victory over Ang Boon Chin of Singapore to win the men’s singles snooker gold. 

The graceful Tharatip Sridee and Anyavarin Supateeralert gave Thailand a one-two finish in the women’s all-round apparatus in the rhythmic gymnastics yesterday after collecting 103.406 and 96.515 points respectively.

In the beach volleyball finals, Thailand’s Kamoltip Kulna made it three in a row in the SEA Games women’s event after partnering young talent Varapatsorn Radarong to smack home players Ayu Siam and Dhita Juliana 2-0 in the showdown. Indonesia made amends by taking the men’s title.

Thailand also claimed two bronze medals when former Asian Beach Games gold winners Jarunee Sannok and Usa Tenpaksee beat Malaysians Luk Tech Hua and Beh Shun Thing 2-1 in what could be the bronze-medal rematch of the last year’s Guangzhou Asian Games. Kittipat Yungtin and Teerapat Pollueang outclassed Sittichat Sangkhachote and Prathip Sukto 2-1 in the all-Thai third-place play-off in the men’s event.

In the women’s indoor volleyball, Thailand, the 2009 Asian champions and sixth place at this year’s World Grand Prix, were unbeaten at the end of the single round-robin meet. 

The Thai team yesterday thrashed young Indonesians in comfortable straight sets 25-13 25-16 25-19 to storm into the today’s showdown against arch-rivals Vietnam, the team they have beaten five times in succession in previous SEA Games finals. 

The Thai men’s team was due to take on Indonesia last night.

In basketball, the Thai women’s squad was due to take on Burma in their last single round-robin encounter last night. However, since Thailand were the only unbeaten team, they looked set to be crowned champions.

Thailand stunned the strong Filipinas 75-73 to win the match and are a sure-bet for gold although they were due to take on Burma in the last encounter. It was a great moment for the Thai women’s basketball team, as they have not won the SEA Games for 16 years – their last gold medal was in 1995 in Chiang Mai. The Thai men’s side, who stunned Indonesia 65-62 in the semi-finals, were due to go up against the Philippines in the gold-medal match last night.

Thailand’s tennis camp had good news yesterday, with Danai Udomchoke and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn reaching the men’s and women’s singles finals today.