Boxers bag four titles as event draws to end
Snooker star Wattana Pu-ob-orm kisses his gold medal on the podium.
Snooker star Wattana Pu-ob-orm won his first SEA Games gold medal while the women’s volleyball team were crowned champions for the 15th time at the biennial tournament in Hanoi.
On the last day of competition before Monday’s closing ceremony, former world No.3 Wattana claimed his maiden SEA Games title, beating young Lim Kok Leong of Malaysia 4-2 in the best-of-seven frames final.
Wattana has now added one of the very few prizes which had been missing from his trophy cabinet.
The 53-year-old rallied twice after losing the first and third frames before winning the fifth and sixth frames to seal the match 24-75, 88-34, 25-70, 48-65, 83-33, 67-42.
Thailand’s Passakorn Suwannawat and Myanmar’s Aung Phyo, who lost in the semi-finals on Saturday, took bronze.
“I’m very happy to have finally won a SEA Games gold. This is the last snooker medal of the Games and I hope this made everyone back home happy,” said Wattana.
Meanwhile the women’s volleyball team claimed the gold medal after beating hosts Vietnam 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-14) in the title showdown.
Big haul
Thai boxers made it to six finals yesterday and came away with four gold medals — three from the men’s event and one from the women’s competition.
Somchay Wongsuwan defeated Farrand Papendang of Indonesia 5-0 to win the men’s 63kg class. Jakkapong Yomkhot also proved too strong for Cambodia’s Phearak Ong, winning their men’s 91kg final bout 5-0, and Bunjong Sinsiri won the men’s 69kg class after he beat Indonesia’s Sarohatua Lumbantobing 5-0.
Below Weightlifter Duangaksorn Chaidee competes in the women’s 71kg class.
Anavat Thongkrathok was the only casualty yesterday as he lost to Indonesia’s Maikhel Roberrd Muskita 0-5 in the men’s 75kg class and had to settle for silver.
In the women’s event, Chuthamat Raksat beat Vietnam’s Kieu Trinh Thi Diem 5-0 to win the 48kg class, but Nilawan Techasuep only got silver after losing to Vietnam’s Thi Vy Vuong 2-3 in the 57kg class final.
In all, the Thai boxing team took home four gold, two silver and two bronze medals (men’s 52kg, 75kg).
Shuttlers add two to tally
Thai shuttlers dominated the singles competitions as Pornpawee Chochuwong and Kunlavut Vitidsarn claimed the gold medals.
Pornpawee beat fellow Thai Phittayaporn Chaiwan 21-14, 21-16 in the women’s singles final while Kunalvut beat Singapore’s Kean Yew Loh 21-13, 21-13 in the men’s singles decider.
Women’s doubles stars Nuntakarn Aimsaard and Benyapa Aimsaard failed to make it three out of three for Thailand as they lost to Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti and Apriyani Rahayu of Indonesia 17-21, 14-21.
A double for lifters
In weightlifting, Duangaksorn Chaidee won the women’s 71kg class gold medal with a combined effort of 279kg. Indonesia’s Nurul Akmal took silver with 252kg and Veitnam’s Van Bguyen Thi Kim took bronze with 251kg.
Men’s 89kg Rungsuriya Panya won gold in the men’s 89kg class with a 349 total. Vietnam’s Nguyen Minh Quang took silver (348) and Malaysia’s Muhammad Hafiz Shamsuddin took bronze (342).
Left Boxer Bunjong Sinsiri celebrates his victory over Indonesia’s Sarohatua Lumbantobing in the 69kg class. reuters ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA
Phacharamethi Tharaphan settled for bronze in the men’s 89kg with a 325kg total. The gold medal went to Indonesia’s Muhammad Zul Ilmi (337) while Vietnam’s Anh Bui Tuan took silver (334).
In cycling, the Thai team won bronze in the women’s road team mass start event.
Supuksorn Nuntana, Jutatip Maneephan, Chaniporn Batriya and Phetdarin Somrat combined to take bronze with a time of 6:43:48. Vietnam won the gold medal (6:42:11) while Malaysia took silver (6:42:15).
Chaba Kaew settle for silver
There was another silver of the Thais in then women’s football event as they went down 1-0 to Vietnam in the final on Saturday night.
Huynh Nhu’s clinical finish in the second half was enough to give Vietnam a win and their third straight gold medal in women’s football.
Chaba Kaew coach Miyo Okamoto rued the missed opportunities in the second half and added that her players need to improve their scoring skills.
The Thai men’s football team were to face Vietnam in the final last night.
Hosts Vietnam are set to end the Games as overall champions with 199 gold, 118 silver and 114 bronze medals at press time. Thailand are second with 89 gold, 101 silver and 131 bronze and Indonesia are third with 66 gold, 86 silver and 77 bronze.
The closing ceremony begins at 8pm on Monday, Thai time.
Author
