Sporting event can help relieve some of the pain

Amidst a subdued mood in the Kingdom because of the ongoing flood disaster, it is hoped that the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), which began yesterday in Indonesia, may be able to take viewers’ minds off the disaster, at least for a while.

The hype for the 26th SEA Games may be pale in comparison with the past few years. However, the event is timely in helping to lift the nation’s spirits. We know that our athletes will work doubly hard to bring a sense of joy to the flooded nation.

On the first day of the games, Thai kayakers grabbed three gold medals to help shore up the mood of the country. Local sports fans expect more golds to come. After all, Thailand is the games’ current champion, after winning 86 golds at the last event held in Laos two years ago.

Indonesia, the games’ host, has planned to make this year’s event a sporting extravaganza, as this is the first time the country has hosted the event since 1997 – which was also the last time Indonesia won the overall crown, with 194 medals. Indonesia is determined to win 200 gold medals, to be the number one in Southeast Asia, this year.

The flooding has brought initial bad news for Thai sports fans. The Sports Authority of Thailand has lowered its goal from an original target of around 125 gold medals to 110 gold medals. Many Thai athletes have seen their homes submerged under flood water, including Chatchaval Khao-La-or, a tae kwon do fighter, whose house is in Pathum Thani. Danai Udomchoke, a tennis ace, posted on Facebook that his Bangkok house is also inundated. Volleyball star Pleumjit Thinkaow’s father was injured while he was trying to create a sandbag barrier to protect the family’s house.

Thai athletes were also forced to change their training venue from the track and field centre at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus to other places because the massive amount of flood water in the area made it impossible to continue their training there.

Regardless of the circumstances, Thai fans will certainly be rooting for all 1,183 Thai athletes and officials who are participating in the games, knowing that they face strong rivals from the other 10 nations including Vietnam, Burma and the Philippines.

At any rate, don’t underestimate Thai sports fans’ hopes. We have seen again and again how our national teams have brought joy to the nation. The female volleyball players are an outstanding example, even though they have struggled to find top form lately. And the Thai footballers have always had their fans glued to TV sets. If anything, the SEA Games this year should help fans realise that we can overcome this crisis if we never lose the determination to fight on. Let’s hope our athletes can bolster the nation’s morale through the product of their hard work and discipline.

Earlier this year, Japan’s figure skating team did a great service to beleaguered fans who were still suffering from the effects of the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 this year. Although the World Figure Skating Championships was forced to move from Tokyo to Moscow, the Japanese team did not let their fans down, with Japan’s Miki Ando winning a gold medal.

Thai fans do not expect anything less for their team. Our athletes may be struggling because of less-than-perfect preparation due to the flooding, but all say that they are ready to compete with heart and soul. 

What matters in the end is not simply the number of gold medals but how our athletes show the nation their fighting spirit. Thai fans are hoping to see our athletes overcome the odds during this difficult time, and to provide inspiration in the midst of adversity.