The pair of Thai tennis players win a gold in the women's doubles. (Photo: VNA) Although Thailand were a distant second in Vietnam, Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) Governor Gongsak Yodmani said he was pleased with his athletes' efforts.
He argued that the Thais did very well in several "international sports" particularly athletics, swimming, tennis, badminton and table tennis.
The SAT had projected that the Thai contingent would win 112 gold medals, including 72 in international sports.
The SAT will later assess the overall performance to use in preparations for the 32nd SEA Games to be held in Cambodia next year, he said.
Meanwhile, the Sports Reporters - Photographers Association of Thailand (SRPT) revealed the successful and failed sports associations at the Games.
The associations which surpassed their targets were weightlifting (won six gold medals), sepak takraw (six), taekwondo (five), swimming (four), table tennis (four), tennis (four), badminton (four), petanque (four), cycling (three), gymnastics (three), and pencak silat (two), according to SRPT chief Paitoon Chutimakorn.
Those which met their targets were athletics (12), bodybuilding (three), judo (three), volleyball (two), and snooker (one).
He said the most disappointing association was probably the Football Association of Thailand which aimed to win four gold medals but could only win two in the men and women's futsal events while the men and women's football teams both lost to Vietnam and missed out on both golds.
The golf association aimed to sweep all four gold medals but could only get two.
Thailand failed to claim a single medal in the four sports of skeet shooting, Chinese chess, finswimming and triathlon.
Several Thai athletes were successful at the 31st SEA Games.
Teenage sprinter Puripol Boonson was one of the brightest stars of the tournament. The 16-year-old completed a hat-trick of sprint titles, including the men's 100m and 200m and 4x100m relay, in his Games debut. He twice broke the Games 200m record, his best time of 20.37 sealing his first gold.
Joshua Robert Atkinson, 19, got four gold medals in the men's 400m, 800m and 4x400 relay and mixed 4x400m relay.
Badminton star Kunlavut Vitidsarn stunned Singapore's world champion Loh Kean Yew in the men's singles final while tennis star Luksika Kumkhum secured her second SEA Games gold medal in the women's singles.
Swimmer Jenjira Srisa-ard bagged two gold medals in the women's 50m freestyle and butterfly events.
Snooker star Wattana Pu-ob-orm, 53, won his first SEA Games gold medal.
SEA Games 31, themed “For a Stronger South East Asia”, was held in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities from May 12-23.
It featured 40 sports with 523 events, attracting around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic./.
VNA
