Story by Staff Reporters/ Photos by AUG Sports
Today team
Thailand enjoyed a golden finale to the 15
th
ASEAN University Games, winning a total of 7 gold medals on the last day
of competition to top the medal table standings.
Daniel William Henry
Bego of Malaysia took two gold medals in swimming, one each in the Men’s
200 Metres Butterfly and 100 Metres Freestyle.
The Games began with much fanfare on Wednesday,
December 15 at Maejo University where a spectacular Lanna style pageant
preceded speeches from Chiang Mai Deputy Governor, Naruemol Palwat, the
Hon. Dato Professor Omar Osman, President of the ASEAN University Sports
Council, and Chinaworn Bunyakiart, the Minister of Education for
Thailand, who all welcomed the some 5,000 athletes and their support
staff from the 11 ASEAN nations to the event.
The majority of the sports got underway on Thursday
and the first gold medals of the Games were handed out with both
Indonesia and Vietnam scoring a brace of victories each in the men’s and
women’s Karate Do disciplines.
The host nation got off the mark the following day
when Chatchisiri Nunmanut secured a gold medal for Thailand in the
women’s individual 10-pin bowling, beating Malaysia’s Tengku Emanina
Laily in the final. There then followed further success for Thailand in
the men’s and women’s Kumite events as the hosts garnered a further 3
gold medals on Day 2 to place second behind Indonesia in the overall
medals list.
The Thai sports stars were cheered on by a colourful
couple of characters, Samart Khumsawat aka Mart Kaen Kuang, and Sompong
Katkaew aka Loy Ngoa Paa,, who turned up at various events each day in
some outlandish costumes to lead the cheering squads. The pair certainly
added to the general atmosphere of fun experienced throughout the
duration of the Games.
After a tough day of track and field on Saturday, all
the athletes, coaches and staff were able to enjoy a rest day on Sunday
and they took advantage of the time off to visit some of the main
tourist attractions of Chiang Mai, including San Kamphaeng Hot Springs,
Mae Sa Elephant Camp, Baan Tawai, Bor Sang and the Night Safari.
Despite winning 5 gold medals on the track on
Saturday, Thailand still trailed Indonesia by some clear margin in the
race to be the top medalists, so they were looking to raise their game
when the final four days of competition resumed on Monday, December 20.
And the hosts certainly stepped up to the plate as they took a bagful of
gold medals in the track and field.
First off was Rewadee Sooksawat of Thailand who won
the women’s discus with a throw of 42.01 meters. Maria Natalia Londa of
Indonesia then took the gold in the Women’s Triple Jump-women, recording
a jump of 13.38 meters and Agustina Bawele won the gold medal in the
Women’s 100 m Hurdles, adding an additional gold medal to Indonesia’s
growing collection with a time of 14.29 seconds.
The hosts came back with victories in the 100 m Men’s
Hurdles, Men’s and Women’s 200m sprints and the Men’s high jump. The
final event was the 3,000 m Steeplechase for men where Sanchai Namket of
Thailand won the gold with his time of 9:25:70. Added to further
successes on the day in the Sepak Takraw and 10-pin bowling, it left
Thailand equal with Indonesia on 21 golds each, with Malaysia trailing
just behind in third place.
All three countries battled for supremacy over the
final three days but it was the hosts who edged ahead to finish atop the
medal table with 58 gold medals, ahead of Indonesia on 46, Malaysia on
37 and Vietnam on 34.
The grand closing ceremony, held again at Maejo
University on December 23, was televised live on Channel 11 TV and
former Miss Thailand Panndada Wongpudee was on hand to welcome all the
athletes to the University’s football stadium before the parade moved to
the gymnasium complex.
The Hon. Dato’ Prof. Omar Osman, Chairman of the
ASEAN University Sports Council, addressed the gathered throng and said
that he was very glad that the Games were such a success for Thailand
and he thanked them on the smooth running of the event.
“Once again congratulations to Thailand that hosted
this with great hospitality, and creating friendships in ASEAN,” he said,
“and also congratulations to Laos which will be the host of the next 16th
AUG in Vientiane in 2012.”
Following traditional music and performances by
representatives of the 11 nations, all that remained was for the AUG
flag to be lowered and handed over to Sengdeuane Lachathabun, Deputy
Minister of Education for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and for
the flame of the 15th ASEAN
University Games to be extinguished during the performance of the
official Games song, “Together as One”, sung by the students of Sansai
Withayakhom School.
See you all again in Laos!.
Agus
Prayogo of Indonesia won the 5,000m,
he won the 10,000m gold medal in
the 25th SEA Games in Laos in 2009.
Jamrat Rittidet added to Thailand’s gold tally with his win in the 100
meter Hurdles.
An
all Thailand women’s beach volleyball final resulted in some spectacular
play.
Sepak Takraw was exciting as always as here, Malaysia takes on
Indonesia.
By AUG Sports Today staff reporters
Master Sergeant Pravet Indra - Sepak
Takraw coach Thailand said that he felt relieved for Thailand to win the
championship because the Thai team had lost to Malaysia in the previous
game. He encouraged his player with just these few words, “Do your best in
every game!” He also left the message for youth who love playing sports that
“You must play every game with your heart, not with the expectation of
benefit.”
Prinyawat Thongnuam – Badminton
Thailand, the winner of the gold medal for Men’s Singles and a member of
the Gold Medal winning team and a silver medal winner for the Men’s Doubles
said, “I felt pressure at the final round, I was very excited and sometimes
I shouted to release pressure. But after that, when I got the winning gold I
felt so happy and I am planning to be on the Thai national team for
badminton.”
Sawatvilay Phimmasone – Taekwondo Laos;
the gold medal winner from Laos in taekwondo welter weight class (between 74
kg and 80 kg), said he has been studying taekwondo since he was 7 years old,
developing his skills until he could represent his country in the recent
Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. He practiced very hard for the past 3 weeks
to prepare for the 15th AUG. He said he felt happy and proud that he could
win the gold medal, the first one for Laos and the first one for 15th AUG,
“Anyway, I thank the Ajarns, and my Lao colleagues, teammates, staff
trainers, and those who cheered me and supported me all the time. I would
like to ask my team members to do their best for the country’s reputation in
future competitions.”
Tengku Emanina Laily Tengku Zahri –
Bowling Malaysia, said after she took the gold in the Women’s Master Ten
Pin Bowling on December 21st that she felt very happy for the gold medal
she’s got and she did better than she thought. She added that it was very
lucky because she won just a few score and also her wrist is injured.
However, she noted that Thailand is very attractive and she will come back
soon.
Tran Huy Bao – Tennis Vietnam,
winner of 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal said, “After the competition on
the 22nd I felt so good to meet with my countryman as a competitor as we
have practiced together. We worked very hard and I am very tired. This was
good practice to gain more experience however, we have to improve our time
management for both sports and studies. This is what has made me successful
in the Games.”
