Thailand’s continued charge towards the 33rd SEA Games overall title was headlined by the national under-23 side’s march into the final of the men’s football competition following their semi-final victory over Malaysia at the Rajamangala National Stadium yesterday.
The Young War Elephants are now only a step away from delivering the title the whole nation craves most after enduring an eight-year barren spell since their last triumph at the 2017 edition of the region’s biennial sporting event in Malaysia.
The Thai side, the regional powerhouse with 16 titles overall, was below par in a laboured performance against the Malaysians, who played almost the entire game with 10 men, but an early free kick by Yotsakorn Burapha was enough to send them through to the final.
Standing between them and the most coveted prize are old foes Vietnam, who booked their place in the showdown with a dramatic 2-0 win over the Philippines thanks to two last-gasp goals.
Earlier in the day, the sailing competition caught the spotlight as it marked the first day Her Majesty the Queen competed in the keelboat SSL47 event. Her participation drew scores of people to Ocean Marina Pattaya in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Queen and lend their moral support.
Her Majesty remarkably helped the Thai team become the early pacesetters after finishing first in the opening two races before coming third in race three.
In indoor volleyball competition, 16-time champions Thailand survived a major scare before coming out on top in a five-set thriller against bitter rivals Vietnam (18-25, 25-13, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-23) to extend their record-winning run in the women’s event.
The Thai women were nowhere near their best in the opening set before going down with a whimper, much to the disappointment of home fans who flocked to the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
The early setback, however, stung the hosts into action as they hit full stride in the next set, effortlessly storming to a 25-13 win to level the match at 1-1. They then carried that momentum into the third set, which they clinched 25-18.
The plucky Vietnamese were not in the mood to give in yet, fighting back admirably to level the match at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth set.
Showing greater composure when it mattered most, the Thais eventually emerged victorious in a grandstand finish to earn their 15th successive title and 17th overall.
The Thai men’s side made it two wins from two by dismantling Laos 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-16) in their second Group A match. They will face Vietnam on Tuesday in their final group-stage fixture, which will determine which side qualifies for the semi-finals as group winners.
Cyclist Peerapol Chawchiangkwang clinched the sixth gold medal for the Thai cycling team with an impressive victory in the men’s individual time trial, clocking 1:07:28 hours. Laos’ Ariya Phounsavath finished second in 1:07:53 hours, while Indonesia’s Aiman Cahyadi took bronze in 1:08:18 hours.
Peerapol Chawchiangkwang
In the all-Thai women’s six-red snooker singles final, Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan edged world number one Nutcharut Wongharuthai in a five-frame thriller to snatch the title.
“Trailing 2-0 and then winning my first frame gave me the encouragement to clinch the last two frames and seal the win,” said world No. 9 Siripaporn, who also revealed she would switch to playing Chinese eight-ball pool next year.
Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan
The Thai extreme sports team concluded their campaign with a splash by winning the cable wakeboard team event on the final day of competition.
It was their fourth title, following earlier successes in the wakeboard and wakesurf team categories, as well as 10-year-old Chunkao Udomphen’s historic triumph in the women’s skateboard street event.
Teenage weightlifter Phattharathida Wongsing delivered the sixth gold medal for the Thai weightlifting team following her narrow victory in the women’s 69kg category.
The tussle for the title went down to the wire before Phattharathida successfully negotiated a 128kg lift in her final clean and jerk attempt to finish on top with a total of 229kg, beating Indonesia’s Indah Afriza by just two kilograms.
Phattharathida Wongsing
“It’s my first Games appearance. Facing competitors who are all older than me, I was quite nervous. I’m very happy to win the gold medal in the end. My next target is the Weightlifting Youth World Championships next year,” said the 19-year-old.
At the SAT swimming pool, Surasit Thongdang rounded off the Thai swimming team’s creditable campaign by securing their fifth gold medal in the men’s 200m butterfly. The five-gold haul exceeded the target of three golds set by the Thailand Aquatics Association.
As of press time, Thailand holds a healthy lead at the top of the medal standings with 145 gold medals, 87 silvers and 59 bronzes, well clear of second-placed Indonesia with 52 golds and Vietnam in third with 39.
