RI extends its SEA Games lead
RI extends its SEA Games lead
JAKARTA (JP): Thailand and Malaysia sprinted away with the
19th SEA Games blue-ribbon events yesterday, but Indonesia
extended its commanding lead at the top of the medals table.
Nine more Games records were broken, in the pool, on the track
and on the weight lifting stage.
At the end of competition yesterday Indonesia had 64 golds, 30
silvers and 40 bronzes. Thailand's provisional medals collection
closed at 30 golds, 30 silvers and 32 silvers, ahead of Malaysia
which leapfrogged the Philippines with 17 golds, 20 silvers and
23 bronzes.
Taking on the hostile crowd in addition to the other track
athletes, Thailand's Vissanu Sophanich and Malaysia's Shanti
Govindasamy both ran personal bests to win respectively the men's
and women's 100m.
Indonesia did strike some gold on the track however, with
Ester Sumah retaining the women's 800m and Games debutant
Hendiarsin Oslan squeezing past Filipino Edward Lasquete to win
the men's pole vault.
The other track and field winners were Malaysian Nar Harbans
Singh in the men's 20km walk, Singapore's Tuck Yim Wong in the
men's hammer and Malaysia's Ramachan Murusamy in the men's
10,000m.
In the pool, the host also had a less successful day, winning
only two of the seven golds on offer. Catherine Surya won the
women's 100m butterfly and the men touched first in the men's
4x100m relay.
Other Indonesian success in the pool included the men's water
polo team, who won the silver, it's first SEA Games medal in ten
years. Singapore took the gold in an event it has never lost in
at this level.
Thailand won three more swimming golds yesterday, taking it to
eight for the competition and three more than Indonesia
Indonesia did win its expected victories in the men's and
women's badminton and men's tennis team events, but only the
women's badminton team performed up to scratch.
The tennis team got off to a bad start when Suwandi lost in
three sets to Warapol Thonkhumchoo. But Andrian steadied the ship
by beating Paradorn Sirichapan and doubles stars Bonit Wiryawan
and Sulistyo Wibowo gave the home team the title after a 10 year
gap by beating Paradorn and his younger brother Naratorn.
The women's badminton team made mincemeat of their Thai
opponents, crushing them 5-0 but the men's match was different.
World doubles champions Sigit Budiarto and Chandra Wijaya went
down to Malaysia's Tan Kim Her and Rosman Razak, and Hariyanto
Arbi was fortunate to beat Ong Ewe hock in three games. The other
matches were easier and Indonesia eventually triumphed 4-1.
Controversy once again dogged the gymnastics competition.
Indonesia's Jonathan Sianturi and Thailand's Amornthep Unchai
shared the all-around men's individual title but Indonesia argued
over the starting value of his routine on the high bar.
The result was that Jonathan, who originally thought he was
second, was promoted to equal first.
The soccer semifinalists were also determined. In tomorrow's
matches Indonesia will play Singapore and Thailand will meet
Vietnam. Security chiefs are worried about possible riots because
of such great demand for seats.
Indonesian soccer authorities are predicting that upto 200,000
fans might try to get into the 120,000-capacity Senayan Stadium.
The Games shooting competition moved into Jakarta and local
markswoman Herce Meiske Tumbuan, who only took up the sport a
year ago, walked away with the running target title.
A total of 63 golds are up for grabs in today's competition,
with Chinese martial art wushu, swimming, track and field and
shooting offering the most medals.
Today's highlight will probably be in the pool when
Indonesia's Richard Sam Bera defends the region's fastest swimmer
title in the men's 50m. (team)