Myanmar vows to regain past glory

Myanmar vows to regain past glory

As the 19th SEA Games draws near, The Jakarta Post
will run a profile of each of the 10 participating
countries. the story below is fourth in the series.

JAKARTA (JP): Myanmar will compete in the 19th Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games here determined to radically improve on its
performance in the last competition.

Yangon is targeting 20 gold medals in the coming SEA Games, or
five times its medal tally in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the director
general of the sport and physical education department, Col. Hla
Myint Kyaw was quoted by Kompas as saying.

The 18th SEA Games in Chiang Mai two years ago was a nightmare
for Myanmar when it only succeeded in winning four of the 338
gold medals at stake.

If Myanmar accomplishes its "20 gold medals" mission, it will
be a return to its 1970s heyday of SEA Games participation. It
won 21 gold medals in the 9th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1977
and 26 gold medals in the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta in 1979.

To realize this ambitious project, Myanmar has spent about
US$1.5 million on financing a training camp, athletes' salaries,
local and foreign coaches' salaries, international warm-up
competitions and equipment.

Myanmar's determination to accomplish the "20 gold medals
mission" is also shown by the fact that its training camp this
year was longer than ever before. Lasting nine months, it was
three months longer than the "normal" six months of previous
years.

"The longer period of preparation should improve Myanmar's
performance," Myint Kyaw said.

Myanmar is sending 384 athletes to the 19th SEA Games. They
will compete in 25 sports, including rowing, track and field and
shooting.

The above three sports are considered to be among the most
likely sources of gold medals for the Myanmar contingent.

The chairman of Myanmar's rowing federation, U Sein Htoon,
said his squad's times had been improving and that the athletes
were in prime condition.

Improved times, according to Sein, are partly a result of
modernized training methods, both on and off the net.

The threat from Myanmar has been acknowledged by Indonesian
Rowing Association officials.

Budiman Setiawan, the association's secretary-general said
that the Indonesian and Myanmar squads were equally strong.

"In the coming SEA Games, I think Myanmar will have a good
chance to take some of the 31 gold medals on offer in rowing,"
Budiman said.

In the 18th SEA Games two years ago, Myanmar's rowing team was
defeated by the Indonesians in five of the seven divisions in
which they competed. But, on each occasion it was only by a split
second.

This year Myanmar has an obsession to settle the score.

Sein Htoon said Myanmar would also be a serious gold medal
contender in the traditional boat race.

Track and field

In the track and field competition, for which Myanmar is
sending 21 athletes, the secretary-general of the Myanmar Track
and Field Federation, Mya Than Htike, said that the contingent
would count on track events.

The best opportunities, he said, would be in the middle and
long distance races, the decathlon and discuss.

In Chiang Mai, one of Myanmar's track and field stars, Khin
Khin Hwe, took the gold medals in the women's 1.500 and 3.000
meters.

"We are still relying on her (this year)," Mya Than said

A Chinese coach has been in Myanmar fine tuning the fitness
and performance of the country's track and field athletes.

Myanmar is also gunning for shooting medals. In Chiang Mai,
Myanmar struck gold in the 50 meters women's sport pistol event
thanks to Thander Su Myint.

Khin So Thaik and Soe Kyi are also expected to contribute
medals in the shooting events.

Myanmar will also count on weightlifting, judo, taekwondo,
karate and boxing. Wind surfing, soccer, pencak silat and sepak
takraw are events where it has outside chances of winning medals.

Myanmar had done a lot to realize this ambitious project.

In an effort to boost sports development, the government
established the ministry of sport and physical education (SPED).

According to sports director Maj. (ret.) Maung Win, SPED will,
in the near future, develop a national sport institute. This is
expected to be the center of sports development and also a venue
to train national athletes.

This year Myanmar took an unprecedented step in its history by
introducing bonuses.

Officials have promised to give apartments and prize money to
successful athletes in the 19th SEA Games.

SPED director general Myint Kyaw is certain that the bonus
scheme would help stimulate his athletes' fighting spirit.

With such stimulation and preparation, the 19th SEA Games in
Jakarta could well be a turning point for Myanmar, an opportunity
to turn the clock back to the late 1970s. (10)