SE Asian Games end in style<\/p>\n
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (Agencies): Thailand crowned its
\ndominating athletic performance with a stunning display of pomp
\nand pageantry yesterday to officially close the 18th Southeast
\nAsian (SEA) Games.<\/p>\n
Watched by Privy Councillor and former Prime Minister Prem
\nTinnsulanonda, the SEA Games flag -- hoisted during the opening
\nceremony nine days earlier -- was lowered and handed to sports
\nofficials from Indonesia, where the 19th SEA Games will be staged
\nin two years.<\/p>\n
The Games torch that had burned throughout the competition was
\nalso extinguished.<\/p>\n
The carefully orchestrated closing ceremony began at dusk in
\nthe packed, 20,000-seat main stadium at the new sports complex
\noutside Chiang Mai, 700 kilometers (450 miles) north of Bangkok.<\/p>\n
It embodied the past, the present and the future, with
\nhundreds of costumed Thais performing traditional dances, a
\nprecision performance by a marching band, and large groups of
\nyoungsters in colored outfits representing the "next generation"
\nof each of the 10 nations.<\/p>\n
Then the 3,266 athletes from Brunei, Burma, Cambodia,
\nIndonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
\nand Vietnam marched past the stands grouped by sport rather than
\nby nation. Most wore warmup suits rather than blazers or
\ntraditional dress.<\/p>\n
"Now they are no longer competitors, but friends," the stadium
\nannouncer said.<\/p>\n
After the Games flag was lowered, Prem, the official
\nrepresentative of King Adulyadej Bhumibol, declared the Games
\nover.<\/p>\n
Indonesian dancers staged a brief performance to mark the
\ncountry's acceptance of the flag and to welcome visitors to
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has world-class athletes in badminton stars Joko
\nSuprianto, Ardy Wiranata and women's champion Susi Susanti,
\nworld-rated tennis player Yayuk Basuki and their women's archery
\nteam.<\/p>\n
But they grudgingly admitted that Thailand are the best in the
\n10-nation contest, though they are already planning to get back
\non top when the event is held in Jakarta in two years.<\/p>\n
"We are not satisfied with our performance because we had set
\nourselves a target of winning 45 percent of the golds here,"
\nMohammad Sarengat, a senior member of the Indonesian delegation
\ntold AFP.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's failure to retain the overall title it won in
\nSingapore two years ago has prompted chef de mission Arie Sudewo
\nto resign from his post as vice chairman of the National Sports
\nCouncil.<\/p>\n
Then participants on the by-then darkened field and thousands
\nof people in the stands lit flashlights to form a Royal Thai
\nbarge, a symbol of Thai royalty.<\/p>\n
Finally, thousands of balloons with lighted candles dangling
\nfrom them were released to float gently up into the night air,
\nand a spectacular fireworks display ended the ceremony with a
\nbang.<\/p>\n
The message on the scoreboard read: "See You in Jakarta."<\/p>\n
Only minutes before the elaborate ceremony started, the last
\nevent of the nine-day competition ended in a nearby gymnasium.
\nFittingly, it was won by Thailand, as was the first.<\/p>\n
On Dec 9, cyclist Chalerm Chaemchuen began the Games by
\nwinning the women's 25-kilometer road race. Boxer Narong Klahan
\noutpointed Ernesto Coronel of the Philippines in the men's 91-
\nkilogram (200-pound) heavyweight match late Sunday to claim the
\nlast gold.<\/p>\n
Thailand fielded the largest team -- 754 athletes -- in an
\neffort to topple powerful Indonesia, the overall medals champion
\nin eight of the last nine Games.<\/p>\n
The Thais won 157 of the 334 gold medals awarded, more than
\ntwice as many as Indonesia, which collected 77.<\/p>\n
The rivalry will be renewed when the Games move to Jakarta in
\n1997.<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>\n
More stories on Page 8<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/se-asian-games-end-in-style-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }