Let the medals fly! Thais chase glory

Let the medals fly! Thais chase glory Listen to this article Pornpawee Chochuwong is a key member of the Thai squad who will be having a crack at the top honours on Wednesday. Photo supplied Thailand is set to rock to a sporting beat on Wednesday as the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games get under way on the back of a dazzling opening ceremony at Rajamangala National Stadium. The biennial Games, being held in Thailand for the seventh time, are scheduled to run until Dec 20, with Bangkok and its metropolitan area and Chon Buri serving as the main host cities. After a tumultuous build-up to the Games, the focus now turns to gold medals and sporting excellence. The region’s top athletes will compete in 50 sports and 574 medal events while fans will also enjoy demonstration sports — air sports, fly disc, tug of war and mixed martial arts. The first full day of sporting action will see 37 gold medals up for grabs in multiple events ranging from badminton to swimming. Day one offers a rich medal haul with six golds apiece in ju-jitsu, swimming, and taekwondo (poomsae); four each in canoeing, petanque, and sepak takraw (chinlone and hoop); two each in badminton, cycling, and hockey 5s; plus one in polo. Four-time Asian mountain bike champion Methasit Boonsane, known as the “King in the Mud”, will be hoping to achieve success on his home track when the bike hits the dirt in the men’s downhill event at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri. The women’s downhill event will also take place on Wednesday, with Thai hopes pinning on nine-time Asian champion Vipavee Deekaballes. Methasit came second in the seeding run on Tuesday while Vipavee topped her category. Indonesian riders have been tipped as the strongest challengers in both events. The Thai Cycling Association is targeting two golds from mountain bike and Methasit could be the first athlete to win the games’ first gold for Thailand, said TCA chief Gen Decha Hemkrasi. “Methasit could win the first gold medal for Thailand, but it depends on whether our event will finish before taekwondo and ju-jitsu competitions or not,” he said. Poomsae athletes will also get into the thick of action right away, with six preliminaries of the freestyle and recognised events starting from 9am. The battles for golds will take place in the afternoon. Badminton showdown The women’s badminton team will defend their SEA Games title when they take on Indonesia in the gold medal match on Wednesday. The team, led by No.1 player Pornpawee Chochuwong, defeated Singapore 3-0 in Monday’s semi-finals, while Indonesia edged past Malaysia 3-2. The presence of world No.3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn failed to ignite the men’s team as they went down to Malaysia 1-3 in the semi-finals and had to settle for a bronze medal. The men’s team gold will be a contest between Malaysia and Indonesia, who beat Singapore in the other semi-final clash. The polo team also have a shot at the mixed 2-4 goals crown as they take on Brunei in the final at VS Sports Club in Samut Prakan. The battle for the gold medal will be a rematch of the preliminary clash between the two teams last Wednesday, won by Thailand 7.5-7. Thailand routed the Philippines 11-1.5 while Brunei beat Malaysia 9-6 in Monday’s semi-finals. Baseball fightback The Thai men’s baseball team staged a thrilling comeback, rallying from behind to beat Singapore 6-4 and secure their fourth consecutive victory at the Queen Sirikit 60th Anniversary Stadium in Thanyaburi on Tuesday. Thailand entered the contest with an impressive record, having crushed Vietnam 16-0, Laos 12-1, and Indonesia 10-1 in earlier rounds. Singapore, meanwhile, had beaten Laos 13-1 and Vietnam 19-12 but suffered a heavy 3-17 loss to defending champions the Philippines. Singapore struck first, racing to a 3-0 lead and later extending it to 4-2. Thailand fought back with determination, leveling the score at 4-4 in the seventh inning. The momentum then shifted decisively, as the Thais surged ahead to clinch a dramatic 6-4 triumph. The result not only preserved their unbeaten run but also strengthened their chances of reaching the medal round. The men’s baseball competition features seven nations in a round-robin format. The top two teams will advance to the gold medal final, while the third and fourth-placed sides will battle for bronze. Thailand next face reigning champions the Philippines on Wednesday before their final preliminary game against Malaysia on Thursday. Both matches are scheduled for 2pm at the same venue. Volleyball campaign begins The women’s volleyball team will launch their quest for a record-extending 17th title with a match against Singapore in Pool A, before taking on Philippines on Thursday. The team will be led by star outside hitter Chatchu-on Moksri, who has been named team captain for the first time in this tournament. Title rivals Vietnam will play their Pool B opener on Wednesday against Myanmar while Indonesia will face Malaysia. All...

Let the medals fly! Thais chase glory

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