RI medal machine still powering on
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia enters the penultimate day of the 19th Southeast Asian Games without giving any trace of running out of steam in its quest for gold medals.
Even though the host failed to take any golds in track and field or shooting yesterday, its cyclists, yachtsmen, rowers, tennis players and karatekas made up for these setbacks.
With 92 medals still on offer, Indonesia leads the standings with 144 golds, followed by Thailand with 70 and Malaysia with 43.
The most surprising home victory came on the red clay of the Senayan tennis courts, where Wukirasih Sawondari, world ranked 456, blasted Thailand's Tamarine Tanudagarn, ranked 419 places higher, off the court 6-2, 7-5.
Later in the day Tamarine, partnered by Benjamas Sangaram, lost again, in the women's doubles, to home favorites Wynne Prakusya and Liza Andryani, 6-2, 1-6, 4-6.
But the two victories were marred by the rowdy crowd whistling and booing in the middle of points.
In badminton, Indonesia's perfect day was spoiled by veteran Joko Suprianto losing to rising Malaysian Ong Ewe Hock in straight games in the men's singles semifinals. The four other finals are all-Indonesia affairs.
The last time Indonesia took all the badminton golds was in 1987. In the intervening Games Malaysia has always taken at least one title but Ong will have his work cut out today, having already lost this week to his finals opponent, Haryianto Arbi.
Indonesia's most successful events yesterday were the watersports. The country's sailers took five gold medals; Oka Sulaksana in the Mistral heavy Weight class, Malik Faisal in the Race Board Heavy Weight, Games deutant Yuni Trisnawati in the women's Mistral, Joko Susilo Soeprapto and Subakti Suparmuji in the Fireball, and Puji Ganefo Soeprapto and Kris Biantoro Soeprapto in the Enterprise class.
In waterskiing Inawati Setiawan won the women's tricks and Baiq Vera yolandasari won the women's slalom with a new SEA Games record of 19 buoys.
At the Jatiluhur reservoir, in West Java, men's double scullers and rowed to gold for Indonesia and two of the traditional boat race crews also took gold, although the hoped- for clean sweep was ruined by Myanmar, which also took two.
Indonesia had further success in West Java, this time in cycling. Nurhayati powered to victory in the women's individual road race and Tonton Susanto took the men's event.
It was Nurhayati's fifth gold of the Games and meant she has taken gold in all the events she entered. She is also Indonesia's most successful women's athlete of the Games.
Back in Jakarta, Indonesia's women took two of the four karate golds on offer. Vietnam took the other two. Sandra Aryani and Milawati Daud were joined in victory by Arief Taufan, who was awardd gold despite protests lodged by silver medal winner Mawlid Zaeni Asjhad Zaeni of Malaysia.
Many of the team events climax today with the soccer final between Indonesia and defending champion Thailand being the highlight. More than 100,000 fans are expected to pack the Senayan Main Stadium. Anyone not interested in soccer is advised to avoid the whole Senayan area between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Indonesia is also aiming for gold in both the men's amd women's softball finals, men's and women's indoor volleyball finals and the basketball finals.
The track and field competition also closes, with eight finals, including the exciting relays where anything can happen.