Female footballers of Thailand rejoice at a goal in a match against Singapore in SEA Games 31 on May 10. (Photo: VNA) In an article on May 12, the newspaper reported that the Kingdom got the first gold on May 11 in pencak silat.
It noted that there are 40 sports offering 527 gold medals at the Vietnam Games which end on May 23. The sports include Olympic events such as athletics, swimming, boxing and football as well as regional ones like sepak takraw and pencak silat. There are also several martial arts including Muay Thai, kickboxing, vovinam, kurash and jiu-jitsu.
The article said Thailand have been the most successful nation in the tournament, with 13 overall crowns since the event was launched as the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games in 1959.
However, the Thais have failed to finish top in the medal standings in the previous two Games.
The Thais were third overall with 92 golds at the 2019 edition in the Philippines.
Thailand are sending 189 athletes to Vietnam and the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) aims for the squad to win 112 gold medals.
SAT governor Gongsak Yodmani said the number should be good enough for Thailand to finish second overall behind Vietnam, adding that his agency targets the Thais to win 72 gold medals in "international sports".
According to the SAT's Elite Sports Development Department, there are 22 international sports at the Vietnam Games including swimming, athletics, boxing, cycling, football, weightlifting, golf, taekwondo, rowing, tennis, shooting and triathlon.
Gongsak said the SEA Games should be a venue for young athletes to hone their skills to become good enough for the Asian Games and the Olympics.
"We should focus on which nations will be better in international sports," he was quoted as saying by Bangkok Post.
"When we host the Games in 2025, I can assure you that we will mainly organise international sports which are events at the Asian Games and the Olympics," he said.
Thailand aim to win 12 gold medals in athletics, 10 in shooting and skeet, eight in rowing, five in boxing, five in sepak takraw, five in Muay Thai, four in football and futsal, three in taekwondo and three in dance sport, among others./.
VNA
