SUBIC — Thailand set sail for the 30th Southeast Asian Games and found gold at the Yacht Club here.
The Thai skippers were the biggest winners in sailing in the regional meet as they took home five of the seven gold medals awarded Saturday.
And the Philippines prevented the Thais from getting another gold as the duo of Emerson Villena and Troy Tayong bested Thailand’s Navee Thamsoontorn and Nut Butmarasri and Malaysia’s Mohamad Faizal Norizan and Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz to snatch the gold in the international 420 sailing.
Thailand swept the women’s side with Chonakchon Wangsuk and Piyaporn Khemkaew ruling the international 420, Kamolwan Chanym topping the laser radial, and Noppassorn Khunboonjan winning the optimist events.
Wangsuk and Khemkaew had 14.0 points at the end of 10 rounds and came out on top of silver medalists Rhegielyn Boyano and Coleen Jem Ferrer of the Philippines who had 20.0 points as well as Nor Nabila Natasha Mohd Nazri and Gabrielle Yong Poquita of Malaysia who had 25.0 points.
Kamolwan’s win was just as decisive as her 12.0 points after Round 8 were far better than silver medalist Victoria Chan of Singapore’s 14.0 and bronze medalist Nur Shazrin Mohammad Latif of Malaysia’s 21.0.
Noppassorn, meanwhile, scored 20.0 points when 10 rounds came to a close as compared to Radiance Koh of Singapore’s 25.0 points for the silver and May Myat Noe Khin of Myanmar’s 34.0 points for the bronze.
Things weren’t much different over at the men’s side as the Thais also won the international 420 and optimist events.
The pair of Jedtavee Yongyuennarn and Chakkaphat Wiriyakitti finished first with 16.0 points at the end of 10 rounds in the international 420.
The silver went to Malaysians Muhammad Fauzi Kaman Shah and Umar Al Farouk Mohd Zahawi while the bronze went to Filipinos Jericko Marbella and Brandhon Kyrielle Aquino.
In the men’s optimist, Panwa Boonnak was the undisputed gold medalist as his 12.0 points accumulated through 11 rounds were way better than those of silver medalist Kenan Tan of Singapore with 33.0 points as well as bronze medalist Putera Adrine Mohn Puad of Malaysia with 35.0 points.
The last gold of the day was claimed by Singapore for men’s laser sailing as Ryan Lo scored 11.0 points in eight rounds.
Thai Keerati Bualong had 17.0 points to seize silver as Malaysian Khairulnizam Mohd Affendy had 27.0 points for the bronze. (PR)
