Thailand relying on swimming veterans
JAKARTA (JP): Thailand will bank on veterans in its bid to haul in gold medals from the swimming pool during the 19th SEA Games.
National coach Samreng Thosakul said during a workout at the Senayan pool yesterday that his 21-strong team would again feature the likes of Ratapong Sirisanont and Prapansai Minpraphal, who collected 10 gold medals between them in the last games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Thailand scooped 22 of the 37 golds at stake in Chiang Mai two years ago but Thosakul said his squad this time had a lower target of 10 of the 32 golds on offer.
"Singapore and Indonesia are much better now than other teams. I have noticed their improvement from time to time," Thosakul said of Thailand's toughest rivals.
He said he expected to win at least three gold medals from Ratapong who will compete in the 200 meters individual medley, 400 meters individual medley and 200 meters breaststroke.
Ratapong was named the best male athlete in the previous SEA Games on home soil, thanks to his six golds. His golden splash included the 200 meters breaststroke which he won in a meet record of 2:16.54.
The Sethsothorn brothers Torlap and Torwai will be Thosakul's best hopes of winning the 400 meters freestyle and 1500 meters freestyle.
Thosakul said Prapansai should at least retain her gold medal in the 400 meters individual medley, which she won in a record- breaking time of 4:54.24 in 1995.
Prapansai was upbeat yesterday of her chance to carve out another record.
"I have to miss my school for this event so it's fair enough if I win at least three events," Prapansai, who is now in the second year of studies at the University of California at Berkeley, said,
Prapansai said she could excel in the 100 meters breaststroke, 200 meters breaststroke and 100 meters butterfly.
"Basically I like to swim, but none of the events are my specialty. Maybe I should play a 'moody stroke'," she said.
Training at the same site yesterday were the Singaporean swimmers. Singapore's coach Ang Peng Siong said his team wanted to grab at least eight gold medals.
"It's difficult to name what events we'll get the golds in because it's a fair game with fair chances for everybody," he said.
"The strength of my team is that they are still young and very enthusiastic about this Games." he added.
Ang, himself once Singapore's best male swimmer, said that 18-year-old Joscelin Yeo Ning would remain the invincible female swimmer in the Games. (04)