Champ Thailand wins athletics tournament
JAKARTA (JP): With 11 gold, 9 silver and 11 bronze medals, Indonesia finished second behind defending champion Thailand at the 20th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Schools Track and Field Championship, which ended here yesterday.
Eleven records were set during the two-day meet at Senayan Madya stadium as Thailand, scooping 18 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze medals, celebrated its seventh win.
Six of the 11 records were set by Indonesians, four by Thais, and one by a Malaysian.
Yesterday's Indonesian record setters were triple jumper Nyoman Rai, who jumped 11.99m, as well as Rumini Sudragni and Ferry Junaedi, who clocked 10:01 in the girl's 3,000m and 8:42 in the boy's 3,000m, respectively.
Saturday's record breakers were Tri Asih Handayani, who renewed her record of 4:30:67 to 4:29:90 in the girl's 1,500m, Irene Yoseph who ran 12:05 seconds in the girl's 100m dash and pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi who shifted his own old mark of 4.25m to 4.55m.
Tri Asih, Rumini, Nunung, Irene and Ferry are all expected to take part in the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to which Jakarta will play host next year. Their successes in this championship will enhance their chance of being included on the country's SEA Games team next year.
Thailand's record breakers were Nuchanart Nukboon, who won the girl's 100m hurdles by clocking 14.28; Klomdee Oranuch, who clocked 24.54 in the girl's 200m dash to beat Irene Yoseph by 21 hundredth of a second; shotputter Sayan Suksamran, who threw 16.02m and javelin thrower Wichit Homtuanlom, who threw 66.30m.
Thailand's team manager Sombat Roongruang said that of the four record breakers, only Nukboon has qualified for next year's SEA Games. Roongruang added that sprinter Narin Charoenpon, who won the boy's 100m dash with a time of 10.72 on Saturday but set no new record, might have a chance to be included on Thailand's 4x100m national relay team for next year's SEA Games. Roongruang said junior athletes going to next year's SEA Games have to have performances which are the same or close to those of their seniors.
By finishing runner-up, Indonesia finally broke the almost decade-old jinx of finishing third behind Thailand and Malaysia. Malaysia head coach K. Rajasuria attributed his team's failure to seize second place to various home meets that his athletes could not miss over the last two months. "They are too tired, some have even fallen ill. Had they not been tired, I'm sure we could have won two or three more gold medals," Rajasuria said. (arf)