SEA Games: Praise for Thai performance as golds climb to 95

Foreign correspondents are praising Thailand's SEA Games performance much like our local reporters. Here's an example plus a full report on yesterday's golden day (and two more golds this morning.)

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Tuesday morning update

How are foreign correspondents describing Thailand's performance at the SEA Games? In much the same way as our local Thai reporters – with a lot of praise. Here is an example from AFP last night

Football kings Thailand seal golden Games

Singapore, June 15, 2015, AFP – Thailand emphatically defended their Southeast Asian (SEA) Games football title on Monday as they finished top of the medals table for the second consecutive edition.

Thailand's under-23s had to wait until after half-time to break down dogged Myanmar, but three goals in the second period earned them a deserved 15th SEA Games title 3-0.

Thailand's women's water polo team shocked Singapore and their female volleyballers also took gold in a victorious run for the team on the penultimate day.

With hosts Singapore only capable of adding one more title to their record haul of 83 golds on the final day, 2013 table-toppers Thailand led the way with 93.

Thai officials celebrated on the pool deck when their women edged Singapore 5-4 in water polo, and there was more to come when they beat Vietnam 3-0 in the volleyball final.

Later at a National Stadium packed with Myanmar foreign workers and watched by armed police with dogs, Thailand had to persevere before finally winning the football final.

With Myanmar 'keeper Phyo Kyaw Zin inspired, it took defender Tanaboon Kesarat to break the deadlock on 54 minutes before goals from Chananan Pombubpha and Pinyo Inpinit.

It was a fitting title for the tournament's form team, who thrashed Indonesia 5-0 in the semifinals and celebrated gold by holding up a portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Audio file can be found at the end of the full text.

More gold this morning

The above story is already out of date as the Thai men have just won the volleyball title defeating Vietnam in three sets 25-20, 25-19, 25-23. A little earlier Busanan Ongbumrungpan won the women's singles crown in badminton, beating Indonesia's Hanna Ramadini 21-17, 21-12. The two golds bring Thailand's overall total to an unbeatable 95.

Yesterday's stories

Football final

The Thai fans are cheering now. After two near misses, it is now 1 - 0 early in the second half. Then, moments after missing a glorious one-on-one chance, Chanathip sets Chananan Pombubpha up for another and he doesn't miss. It's 2-0. No, it's 3-0. We shouldn't be surprised. Thailand dominated the first half but didn't score. Now the floodgates have opened.

Beep! The final whistle blows after seven minutes of extra time. Thailand are football and SEA Games gold medal champions.

Thailand ends the day with a total of 93 golds, 10 more than Singapore and there is no way that can be caught now. I suspect the other two golds from the day came from men's and women's petanque, a bowling game.

Monday evening update

The women shine again, this time in the sepaktakraw doubles. The Thais triumphed 21-24, 21-10 over Myanmar. The gold tally now stands at 90, eight ahead of Singapore and it is virtually certain that Thailand will finish number one.

It's official! The Thai women's volleyball team are the SEA Games champions, having just defeated Vietnam 25-18, 25-18, 25-15. The first set was close for a while, but the Thais dominated the rest of the way.

Wow! The Thai women have just defeated host Singapore in water polo 5-4 to win the gold – not really expected.

Thailand are still in contention for two more gold medals. The Thai men's volleyball team are into the finals after beating Indonesia in straight sets, 25-18, 25-23, 25-16. They will play Vietnam in the final tomorrow who defeated Myanmar in its semifinal, also in straight sets.

In badminton Busanan Ongbumrungpan has reached the gold medal final in the women's singles, winning her semi-final match against Thi Trang Vu of Vietnam, 21-11, 21-17. In the men's semifinal Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk made a strong start, winning the first set 21-13, but then lost 21-18, 21-15 to Malaysia's Wei Feng Chong.

Monday morning story

Thailand still top as SEA Games enters final two days

TOR CHITTINAND AND KITTIPONG THONGSOMBAT, WITH AGENCY REPORTS

SINGAPORE – Thailand picked up three of the first six Pencak Silat titles among its gold-medal haul on Sunday and led the Southeast Asian Games medal standings with 87 golds, five ahead of host Singapore and 14 clear of third-place Vietnam at the end of the third-to-last day of competition.

There are 16 more gold medals on offer in the last two days.

The Thais won two golds in tennis, three in pencak silat, and one each in rowing, water skiing, bowling and taekwondo.

Today, Thailand's hopes are high for a gold in the women's volleyball final as a very strong Thai team takes on Vietnam at 6pm.

Thailand expect another important gold this evening, when the 14-time champions go into the football final against Myanmar as a hot favourite. The match will be televised at 7:30pm by Channels 3 and 7.

Thailand qualified with a 5-0 semifinal win against Indonesia, and has scored 21 goals while conceding just one in the tournament so far.

"We are 100 per cent confident that we can win," Thailand captain Sarach Yooyen told a news conference Sunday, "but we have to be very careful against Myanmar. They can be dangerous."

Myanmar edged Vietnam 2-1 in the other semifinal to reach only its third SEA Games final since its golden run ended in the 1970s. Coach Kyi Lwin will be hoping for third time lucky – Myanmar lost the 2007 and 1993 finals to Thailand.

"Our supporters from Myanmar and the people who have supported us here in Singapore are all very passionate for success from our football team," Kyi Lwin said. "They are important in us making it all the way to the final."

Thousands of Myanmar migrant workers have turned out at every match the country has played.

The Thai tennis team's haul of six golds, two silvers and three bronze medals at the Kallang tennis centre well exceeded their pre-tournament expectations, although hopes of recording a clean sweep were dashed by a determined Filipino duo who spoiled an otherwise perfect final day on the court by winning the mixed doubles.

Warit Sornbutnark became the first Thai in 12 years to win the men's singles gold medal yesterday.

Despite Indonesian ace David Susanto starting off well by taking the opening set 6-4, the third-seeded Warit hit back to land the second 6-3 and even the score 1-1.

The third set saw Warit turn in a solid performance to capitalise on unforced errors committed by Susanto for a 6-3 victory over the Indonesian and a place on the winner's podium.

Warit said: "I am very happy at winning the gold medal today. This is my first SEA Games and I feel really excited. I was under lot of pressure in the final, as I was facing an opponent who has beaten me before."

In the women's doubles final, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn and Varatchaya Wongteanchai combined well to defeat the Filipinas Denise Dy and Katharina Lehnert comfortably 6-3, 6-4.

It was the third gold medal for Noppawan after winning the team and singles events earlier.

On the last day of pencak silat competitions, Thailand bagged three gold medals from Adilan Chemaeng (men's 60kg), Pornteb Pookaew (men's 65kg), and Suda Lueangaphichatkun (women's 55kg).

In bowling, Yannaphon Larp-Apharat lived up to the expectations of the Thai fans when he won the gold medal in the men's singles in his fifth appearance in the tournament. The Nakhon Pathom-born player had also claimed the gold at the last year's Asian Games in South Korea.

In rowing, veteran Phuttharaksa Neegree won the gold medal in the women's lightweight single sculls (1,000m) to earn the the Rowing and Canoeing Association of Thailand their 11th gold of the Games.

It was a memorable farewell for the 41-year-old Phuttharaksa, who had announced earlier that the Singapore event would be her last SEA Games.

Thailand's mixed wakeboard team also came away winners at Bedok Reservoir, where four water skiing titles were contested Sunday. It was the second gold for Thailand in the sport.

In taekwondo, Thailand met their three-gold target when Peerathep Sila-on won the men's 74kg title, the last day of the taekwondo competition.

Earlier, Thailand had captured two gold medals from Chanatip Sornkham (women's 49kg) and Akkarin Kitwijarn (men's 63kg).

In floorball, Thailand had to settle for silvers after they lost to hosts Singapore in both the men's and women's finals.

You can read our previous SEA Games coverage here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/591129/sea-games-16-golds-in-one-day-put-thailand-top

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