Hosts upstage regional rivals at SEA Games

Hosts upstage regional rivals at SEA Games

John Pye, Associated Press, Hanoi, Vietnam

Shooters without guns, sinking ships and deadly soccer
celebrations hardly rated a mention in Vietnam as it basked in
hosting and finishing atop the Southeast Asian Games medal
standings for the first time.

In the nation where the sporting preoccupation is soccer, the
one blotch was Thailand's golden-goal win in a men's final that
ended 2-1 six minutes into extra time.

Vietnam's run to the title match had captivated the
population, with millions flooding onto the streets to celebrate
victories.

Hundreds of thousands of motorbikes, some stacked with four or
five people waving flags, congested downtown streets and
authorities warned that accidents were inevitable.

Police in the southern Ho Chi Minh City reported two deaths
and more than 500 treated in hospitals from traffic accidents
following the 4-3 semifinal win over Malaysia, but local media
reported five or more fatalities. No update was available after
the final.

Vietnam spruced up its capital Hanoi for the Games, planting
trees and clearing illegal sidewalk hawkers and the homeless from
the city center and ordering old men not to go bare chested in
public.

The government invested US$320 million on Games infrastructure
and more time and cash developing a team primed to peak for the
biennial event.

It worked. Vietnam finished with 158 of the 444 gold medals
across 32 sports, eclipsing its 33 golds from Kuala Lumpur two
years ago, when host Malaysia finished on top with 111 gold.

Thailand, second in 2001 with 103 golds, was No. 2 again with
90 gold. Indonesia was a distant third with 55 gold medals
followed by Philippines with 48, Malaysia with 44, Singapore with
30 and Myanmar with 16. Laos, Cambodia and Brunei Darussalam got
one gold medal apiece, while Timor Leste's 14-athlete contingent
failed to get onto the medal podium.

Adding popular domestic sports to the program helped the local
cause.

In sports it introduced under its privilege as host, Vietnam
won all seven in shuttlecocks -- a kicking form of badminton, 12
of the first 13 decided in fin swimming and one of four in dragon
boat racing.

Thailand came out on top in the prestigious events -- winning
12 of 32 swimming gold and 13 of 45 in athletics -- although
Singapore swimmer Joscelin Yeo was the individual standout with
six gold medals.

The low point of the athletics program had to be the men's
pole vault.

Thailand's Amnat Kunpadit cut a lonely figure as he accepted
gold after clearing 4.80 meters. All other vaulters missed their
starting marks, making it a one-man show.

A sixth consecutive SEA Games soccer title and seven boxing
gold medals were the highlights for Thailand, which had been
expected to finish No. 1.

Philippines rounded off the Games by defending the men's
basketball title on Saturday with a 90-61 victory over Malaysia.

Thailand took the silver with a 4-1 record and Malaysia got
bronze. The Malaysians won the women's basketball gold, with
Singapore getting silver.

Wong Mew Choo became Malaysia's first women's badminton
singles winner since 1975 with an 11-5, 11-5 win over Thailand's
Salakjit Ponsana after an upset semifinal win over top-seeded Li
Li, while her compatriots won the men's doubles and world No. 4
Wong Choong Hann lost the men's decider to Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

Sony also led a young Indonesian team to the men's team title,
while Li Li and her Singapore teammates won the SEA Games
badminton women's team title for the first time.

Controversies were rare but dramatic.

In the men's 1,000-meter dragon boat race on Friday, the
Philippines crew took the silver despite finishing with only the
dragon's head decoration above water in Hanoi's West Lake.

Organizers said there was nothing wrong with the boats, built
locally and delivered 10 days before competition. The paddlers,
plucked from the lake by rescuers in a motor launch, agreed that
the wind and big waves had caused all the trouble.

There were minor faux pas with flags and anthems at ceremonies
during the Games, which had barely opened when a potential
scandal flared as the Malaysian shooting team arrived without
weapons, apparently after a mixup over approval requirements.

Defending women's pistol champion Bibiana Ng didn't get to
compete in the 25m event, which was won by Vietnam's Pham Thi Ha.