Overview of the 26th SEA Games in Palembang and Jakarta

COMEBACK HEROES

GOLDEN OLDIE: The 49-year-old Sam Chong was coaxed out of retirement to take up his snooker cue once again and he delivered a gold in the men’s doubles with current national No. 1 Thor Chuan Leong.

SIBLING SPECIAL: Former F1 driver Alex Yoong made a return to waterskiing after 14 years to clinch the men’s overall gold medal.
Younger sister Phillipa Yoong was only 18 when she won gold in the 1997 Jakarta Games. This time, the mother of two won two gold medals in the women’s slalom and overall events.


GOLDEN DEBUTANTS

COOL KAT: The 19-year-old Katrina Ann Hadi capped her first Games appearance in stunning fashion – winning five gold medals in synchronized swimming.

LETHAL WEAPONS: It was only his second international tournament but Kevan Cheah Peng Heng did well to win the men’s combined nandao (sword) and nangun (stick) wushu event.

PEDAL POWER: Ju Pha Som Net marked her maiden Games outing by winning the women’s team sprint event with Fatehah Mustapa.


BIG WINNERS

DYNAMIC DUO: Shareen Png and Katrina Ann Hadi are the proud winners of five gold medals each after helping Malaysia make a clean sweep in synchronised swimming.

ALLEY ACE: Adrian Ang helped Malaysia bag four out of the five gold medals and it came from the doubles (with Alex Liew), trios (Adrian, Alex, Zulmazran Zulkifli), team of five and Masters. Alex had three gold medals.

TRACK QUEEN: Fatehah Mustapa bagged three gold medals (500m time trial, sprint and team sprint) – a huge leap from her three bronze medals at 2007 Games in Korat.

GOLDEN SWANSONG
ONE FOR THE ROAD: Yeoh Ken Nee bid goodbye to the Games by winning the men’s 3m springboard title. It was his 15th gold medal in the SEA Games series since making his debut in Jakarta in 1997.

STARS IN THE MAKING
A HIGH FOR LOH: Swimmer Christina Loh announced her arrival on the senior stage with her first SEA Games gold medal in the 50m breaststroke event.

SMASHING ACT: Debutant shuttlers Lim Khim Wah-Goh V Shem showed that they are the future in the men’s doubles after beating world No. 6 Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (SEA Games individual doubles champions) in the team event.



GOLDEN RECORD

SIMPLY SU-PERB: Malaysia’s top shooter Suryani Mohd Taibi shot down Malaysia’s first gold medal of the Games in the 50m rifle 3 position. She also became the first athlete to win two gold medals in this Games.

TAKE A BOW: Cheng Chu Sian is first archer to win three medals in the Games. He won two golds in the individual and team recurve and a silver in the mixed team.

HIGH-ACHIEVER: Pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu delivered Malaysia’s sixth athletics gold with a new SEA Games record of 4.20m.


THE FLOPS

KAYOED: Asian Games silver medallist Jamaliah Jamaluddin failed to win a hat-trick of karate golds in the 68kg kumite event after crashing out in the first round.

EMPTY BONG: Much was expected from World Wushu Championships silver medallist Diana Bong but she was left in tears after managing only a bronze medal in nandao and nangun event.

SLOW AS SNAIL: National 100m champion Norjannah Hafiszah was a total disaster at the Games – finishing dead last in 100m and 200m and costing the women’s 4x100m relay team a medal.

LUCKLESS BUNCH: It’s harsh to brand the gymnastics squad as flops considering the spate of bad luck they had with injuries. But for gymnastics to miss out on a gold medal for the first time since the 1985 Games in Bangkok is simply unthinkable.

ROAD BLOCK: The road cycling team have only two fourth-placed finishes. Mariana Mohamad in the women’s individual time trial and Ng Yong Li in the men’s road race.


YOUNG ACHIEVER

JUST GR-EIGHT: Pint-sized eight-year-old sized Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah has certainly made her way into the history books as the youngest ever gold medal winner in the Games.


STARS OF THE GAMES

FAN-TASTIC FEAT: The Malaysian football team overcame the hordes of fanatical fans to beat Indonesia in a penalty shootout to defend their status as the best in the SEA region.

SURPRISE WINNERS

SPLASHING SHOW: Unheralded Heidi Gan won the 5km and 10km open water swimming to win a ticket to represent the Olympic qualifying tournament in Portugal next year.

GOLDEN QUARTET: P. Yuvaraaj, Mohd Yunus Lasaleh, Schzuan Ahmad Rosely and S. Kannathasan arrived just 48 hours before their 4x400m race. But they ran the race of their lives to pull off a stunning victory.

TWO-WHEEL POWER : Mohd Hafiz Sufian bagged the omnium gold medal. This is the first time that the event is being contested in the SEA Games.

YIPEE: Fencer Joshua Koh I-Jie made heads turn with his breakthrough win in the men’s epee individual event.


IN MEMORY OF

GOODBYE: National Sports Council (NSC) official Harun Osman will surely be remembered for his jovial and helpful nature. He passed away while serving the athletes at Palembang.


INDONESIA’S “POT” OF GOLD

HAUL ‘EM IN: Their silat team grabbed nine gold medals out of 18 in silat. They won all six from seni (non-combat) events.

ROLLING IN: Swept 12 out of 12 gold medals at stake in roller sport. Even the supposedly superior Thais were no match.

ONE SHORT: Took nine out of 10 gold medals at stake in sport climbing, with only the Philippines denying them another clean sweep.


GAMES BLOOPERS

(JAKARTA)

SORE LOSER: National coach P. Arivalagan claimed that an official had fixed the results involving Malaysians in karate but the National Sports Council (NSC) brushed it aside as a lame excuse.

EXPECTED: Biased judging in taekwondo but that is not a surprise is it?

STANDSTILL: Traffic snarls in the city.

PERENNIAL PROBLEM: Thumbs down to the result system. Some results are updated a day later. With all the sports held in so many different places, it was difficult to keep track.

WET, WET, WET: The leaking roof at the shed of the Rawamangun velodrome, where teams prepare their bikes before races, saw athletes scooting around to find dry spots.

NOT SO HOSPITABLE: The hostility shown by the local fans towards Malaysian athletes, officials and fans.

CLOGGED UP: The cramped Media Press Centre (MPC).


(PALEMBANG)

HATE FIGURE: Chris Ardi Toruan. Need we say more? The unruly Games official who turned into a hate instigator at the Aquatics Stadium.

BARE NECESSITIES: Non-existent media centres. There is a press room in every venue. But sadly it sorely lacks even the basic facilities such as Internet connection and power socket. Don’t be surprised to see photographers sitting out in the open field filing pictures.

CITY OF FLIES: The whole city of Palembang is infested with flies. There are flies virtually everywhere. Even in air-conditioned rooms where there is no food at all. Small wonder our athletes suffered food poisoning.

THE STAR