Thailand bows to prospect of Indonesia winning title
As part of our coverage of the SEA Games, The Jakarta Post is running a profile of each of the 10 participating countries. The story below is the seventh in the series.
JAKARTA (JP): Thailand is bracing itself for the 19th SEA Games like a wise knight; it prefers to make a retreat for a big leap.
Shortly after a deafening victory celebration in Chiang Mai two years ago, Thailand decided not to push ahead with the ambition of being number one at this year's SEA Games.
"We are looking ahead to the Asian Games," Thailand's SEA Games contingent chief Charouk Arrirachakaran said on his arrival Wednesday.
"We aim to grab 100 gold medals, leaving the rest of the gold medals for Indonesia," he said, adding that the chances were better for host Indonesia to finish first this year.
Thailand is the only country which has managed to beat Indonesia in the SEA Games forum.
Host Thailand took the most medals in the 18th Games two years ago with 157 golds, 98 silvers and 91 bronzes.
Indonesia ranked a distant second with 77 golds, 67 silvers and 77 bronzes.
Thailand's victory in Chiang Mai snapped Indonesia's winning run since 1987.
Thailand also beat Indonesia in the 1985 Games in Bangkok to end Indonesia's domination since 1977.
Charouk said the likelihood of Indonesia winning the medals race was so great because the host had added some sports which had been left out of the previous meet.
A total of 34 sports will be contested during this year's Games, compared to 28 in Chiang Mai.
"We can't do anything. It's the right of the host country (to decide the number of contested sports). We just follow what the host wants," he said.
Fight
Charouk however promised that his squad would fight to the limit to show its best during the Games.
He said that instead of pursuing the top spot, the Thais would concentrate more on breaking SEA Games records and preparing for the Asian Games they are to host next year.
"There are some sports where our team expects to break records of not only the SEA Games but Asian Games as well, particularly in swimming and track and field," he said.
"How can we excel in the Asiad if we fail to break records in an event with a much lower standard, such as the SEA Games," he added.
The secretary-general of Thailand's athletics association, Am Anawin Bakdeejit, said he was optimistic that Thailand would grab 14 out of the 45 golds on offer in the SEA Games track and field competition.
"We have set a lower target than our achievement in Chiang Mai, mainly because we have to fight a strong Malaysia," he said. He played down Indonesia's challenge, however, saying that the host country would manage only a few golds in track and field.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand's track and field team romped home with 21 gold medals.
Anawin predicted Malaysia would also get 14 gold medals from athletics, saying the Kuala Lumpur team was good in the men's 400 meters and men's 100 meters.
He said he expected golds from a variety of events, particularly shot put, the sprints and the decathlon.
In shot put, Thailand will feature its best throwers Wunsanwang Sawusdee in the men's division and Juthaporn Kasaeyan in the women's category.
Wansanwang has recorded a best throw of 17.60 meters, while Juthaporn threw 16.66 meters recently in practice.
An official from Thailand's badminton body, Vanchai Sansaniyakulvilai, said he believed star-studded Indonesia would sweep all the seven gold medals in the sport.
He said he would be satisfied if his shuttlers even reached the semifinals. (jsk)