Thailand relying on swimming veterans

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)