RI set to regain Games supremacy
JAKARTA (JP): A historic six golds in the ring highlighted Indonesia's impressive performance in the 19th Southeast Asian Games yesterday, as the host came closer to regaining its Games supremacy.
But most eyes were turned toward Senayan Stadium where almost 100,000 people saw Indonesia beat Singapore 2-1 in the soccer semifinals. It will now play defending champion Thailand, 2-1 winner over Vietnam in the other semifinal, in tomorrow's final.
Thousands of fans failed to get into the stadium and some vented their frustration by throwing water bottles at security guards, who responded, some on horseback, by charging at them.
At least 20 were arrested, along with several scalpers.
Indonesia's goldrush stepped up a gear yesterday, including a six-gold sweep in the opening of the karate competition.
By the end of yesterday, Indonesia had an almost impregnable lead in the medals race; its 119 golds are more than double its nearest rival, Thailand, which has 56.
But a victory-hungry Indonesia is not slowing down its gold mining machine, vowing to rake up 25 out of the 68 golds up for grabs today.
"Although we are clear on top of the standings, we won't feel secure until we have 150 golds," the spokesman for the Indonesian team, Fritz Simanjuntak, said.
Indonesian pugilists not only snapped their gold medal drought, they also restored their billing as the region's strongest boxing powerhouse. Their previous biggest achievement was winning four golds in 1987 and 1989. They returned home humbly with only four silvers two years ago.
Only one of the seven home boxers who reached yesterday's finals lost their bruising bouts played out before thousands of yelling, drum-beating fans who packed the Sumantri Brojonegoro sports hall.
A bitter rivalry pitting Indonesia against Thailand peaked in the middleweight clash when home favorite Albert Papilaya avenged his defeat to Bancha Morison two years ago with a 16-7 win.
The Thai team, which swept all 11 golds offered in the ring in Chiang Mai, had to be content with four golds.
Karate
Karate kicked off with controversy, when an upset vice president of the Malaysia Karate-Do Federation, Mohd. Noor Nordin, said that the judges and referees were working in favor of the host team. But a coach from the Philippines, David Lay, believed the events had been conducted fairly.
Beach volleyball also made its Games debut yesterday, drawing a huge crowd to the Senayan sandpit to watch perhaps the scantiest clad athletes of Games in action.
The swimming competition wound up yesterday with SEA Games records galore. Five of the six finals saw new marks, the only exception being the women's 50m freestyle where Singapore's Joscelin Yeo missed out on breaking her own mark set two years ago in Chiang Mai.
In the velodrome possibly the biggest surprise of the Games to date occurred when little-fancied Singaporean Bernard Wong sneaked past the favorites, Indonesian brothers Henky Setiawan and Herry Janto, to win the men's point race.
The main gymnastics competition also ended yesterday with local star Jonathan Sianturi winning the vault and high bar events to take his individual gold-medal tally to six.
Late last night Indonesia's men's indoor volleyballers clawed their way back from two games down to defeat defending champion Thailand 3-2 in a preview of tomorrow's final.