SEA GAMES: The 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games comes to an end today (May 17) with Thailand finishing in second place in the overall medal table.
Thai players pose after winning the gold medal in the women’s water polo tournament. Photo: Supplied / Bangkok Post
The Thais finished with a total of 312 medals, including 108 gold, 96 silver and 108 bronze, behind winners Vietnam and ahead of Indoensia.
The closing ceremony is scheduled for the last day of the Games in Phnom Penh today.
In yesterday’s action, badminton star Supanida Katethong was crowned the women’s singles champion after beating fellow Thai Lalinrat Chaiwan 21-12, 21-14 in the gold medal match, reports the Bangkok Post.
Men’s doubles pair Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun lost to Pramudya Kusumawardana Riyanto and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob of Indonesia 21-17, 21-19 in the final.
Indonesia’s Christian Adinata took the men’s singles gold after beating compatriot Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo 21-12, 18-21, 21-18.
Indonesia also won the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles titles.
Elsewhere, the women’s water polo team won their fourth SEA Games gold medal after beating Indonesia 17-8 for their second win in a three-team competition. Singapore got silver.
The men’s team beat Philippines 13-7 in the bronze medal match.
The Thai jet ski team dominated the last day of competition, winning four gold and one bronze medals.
Permphon Teerapatpanich won the runabout stock event with 173 points while teammate Nuttakorn Pupakdee (151) took bronze. Aqsa Sutan Aswar of Indonesia (154) got silver.
Tanawin Molee (173 points) and Narathip Thongyoo (152) finished 1-2 in the ski 1500 stock event. The bronze medal went to Kay Vansiden (140) of Cambodia.
Arnon Hongklang (168) won the ski lite gold medal while Nantawat Singurai (154) took bronze.
Saly Oumoeut (161) of Cambodia was second.
Pianrat Srikongruk won the runabout 1100 stock event with 180 points.
Sasina Phiw-ngam won bronze with 134. Billy Joseph Yang Ang of the Philippines (137) took silver.
Thailand’s sepak takraw teams enjoyed a golden double yesterday after both the men’s and women’s quadrant teams won the titles.
The men’s team defeated Indonesia 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) while the women’s team beat Vietnam 2-0 (22-20, 24-22) in the finals.
Weightlifter Duangaksorn Chaidee won the gold medal in the women’s over-71kg category.
The Thai star made a total lift of 270kg, with 122kg in the snatch and 148 in the clean and jerk to claim her second SEA Games gold medal.
Nurul Akmal of Indonesia was second with 263kg (115 and 148) and Pha Si Ro of Vietnam third with 246kg (106 and 140).
Rungsuriya Panya only managed to win silver in the men’s 91kg category with a 358kg (155 and 203) total, only one kg less than his Vietnamese rival Tran Dinh Thang, who took gold with a combined lift of 359kg (150 and 209).
The Thai cricket team also struck gold after winning the women’s T10 event.
Thailand (13/0) defeated the Philippines (11/9) by 10 wickets.
In beach volleyball, the Thai women’s team beat Indonesia 2-1 to win the gold medal but the men lost to Indonesia 2-1 in the title match.
In traditional boat race, Thailand took the gold medal in the men’s TBR 12 crews (U24) 800m event but only got silver in the mixed TBR 12 crews (U24) 800m event.
Table tennis star Suthasini Sawettabut had to settle for silver after losing to Jian Zeng of Singapore 4-3 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9) in the women’s singles final.
The men’s basketball team won the bronze medal after they defeated Indonesia 83-69 in the third-place play-off match.
In field hockey, Thailand lost to Malaysia 3-1 in the women’s team final.
In judo, Thailand lost to Vietnam 4-3 in the mixed team final.
In floor ball, the women’s team lost to Indonesia 4-2 in the final.
In kickboxing, Sittichok Naksawad lost to Toni Kristian Hutapea of Indonesia 2-1 in the men’s full contact 54kg gold medal match.
In the men’s football final Thailand lost 5-2 to Indonesia after extra time in a hot-tempered match that had seven goals, four players sent off and two mass brawls.
Thailand ready for 2025 SEA Games
Meanwhile, three Thai cities are ready to organise the next SEA Games in 2025, officials said yesterday.
The 33rd edition of the biennial event will be held in Bangkok, Chon Buri and Songkhla from Dec 9-20, 2025, Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Gongsak Yodmani told a press conference in Phnom Penh.
“Bangkok, Chon Buri and Songkhla are big provinces and are well-equipped with venues and personnel to host the Games,” Gongsak said.
“We do not need to build new stadiums and athletes’ villages – we just have to refurbish the existing venues.
“Transportation is also convenient in the three cities. This will give chances for more people to participate in the tournament.”
Gongsak said Thailand will mainly focus on organising “international sports” which feature at the Olympics and Asian Games.
He said the SEA Games Federation Council has approved new regulations which allow the host country to organise only four “regional sports.”
The 32nd SEA Games has featured some controversial events including Cambodian martial arts Kun Khmer and Kun Bokator, finswimming, and ouk chaktrang [Khmer chess].
– Additional reporting by The Phuket News
