Thailand likely to take overall title at SEAG
Thailand likely to take overall title at SEAG
JAKARTA (JP): Host Thailand is more likely than Indonesia to grab the overall title at the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, a Thai senior sports official claims.
Chairat Kamnuan, deputy chairman of Thailand Olympic Committee, said in Chiang Mai yesterday that Thailand would get 113 gold medals while Indonesia would take 105 at the Dec. 9 to Dec. 17 games.
He obtained the figures after asking his national sports associations to predict how many gold medals Thailand would win at the games compared to Indonesia's sports associations.
Thailand's estimation does not differ much from the one made by Indonesia's noted sports observer, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, last week.
Siregar said Indonesia stood little chance of defending its title. He said it was realistic for Thailand to scoop around 110 to 120 gold medals while Indonesia might win 90 to 95.
The 18th SEA Games offers a total of 334 gold medals, 334 silver medals and 421 bronze medals in 28 sports. Indonesia will not participate in rugby and hockey.
Thailand beat Indonesia in the 1985 meet in Bangkok by 27 gold medals. Host Thailand hauled 91 golds, 65 silvers and 58 bronzes. Indonesia finished second with 64 golds, 75 silvers and 72 bronzes.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej is scheduled on Dec. 9 to open the games in the main 20,000-seat stadium. The opening ceremony, also intended to mark the 700th anniversary of Chiang Mai, will start at 5.20 p.m. with a performance of the Chiang Mai Wind Orchestra and end at 7.30 p.m.
At 6 p.m. the 18th SEA Games will be opened, with a performance five minutes later by hundreds of dancers entitled "To Play and To Fight." The dancers will form the Thai word for welcome "Sawasdee."
As for security, an official with Thailand police, Kovid Bhakdiphumi, told Antara yesterday that 4,000 police personnel will stand on guard during the games. Police dogs will also be installed around the main stadium and in the athlete's village, whose gates will be equipped with detectors and guarded by 20 policewomen.
First day
Meanwhile, Indonesia dominated the seeding list at the badminton competition due to start on the first day of the biennial event on Dec. 9. Badminton, basketball, sepak takraw, tennis and volleyball will serve as the Games openers.
The badminton draw received by the National Sports Council yesterday put both Indonesian men's and women's teams at the top of the list. In the individual events, which begin after the team events, all Indonesian representatives were seeded first and second, except in the men's doubles.
A Joko Suprianto-led Indonesian men's team received a bye in the first round and will set off its campaign on Dec. 10 against either Myanmar or Singapore. Joko and company are drawn to meet Malaysia in the final.
The Indonesian women's team also got a first-round bye, before taking on the winner of the Malaysia-Philippines match.
Meanwhile in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, head of the province's sports council Suwarna said 12 SEA Games-bound athletes from the province would be given an allowance of US$500 each.
Suwarna, who is also the province's deputy governor, said the reward was a sign of attention and moral support from the people of the province. The money will be given by Governor H.M. Ardans today.
Suwarna declined to say whether additional money would be given to his athletes who succeed in bringing home gold medals. (arf/amd)