The 29th SEA Games in Malaysia ended on Wednesday with hosts Malaysia winning the overall title with 145 gold medals, well ahead of runners-up Thailand’s 72.
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana ‘gives’ her silver medal to her late grandfather, His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
KL 2017 was filled with memorable and forgettable moments and here are some of them.
Princess and her silver
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, who represented Thailand in equestrian along with her horse Prince Charming, was a member of the dressage team who finished second.
On the podium, the Princess created probably the most emotional moment of KL 2017.
Dedicating the silver medal to her late grandfather, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, on the podium, the Princess hugged a portrait of the late monarch and put the medal on it.
“I was so happy when I hugged the portrait of my grandfather and put the silver medal on it. It was like I gave the medal to him. Normally when I won a medal, my grandfather would put it around my neck. But that would never happen again,” the Princess said. “There are no words to describe it.”
The Princess also won a gold medal in the women’s badminton team event at the 2005 SEA Games.
Home field advantage
Malaysia’s success at the 29th SEA Games may not be a surprise as the hosts nations often do well in the biennial event, finishing top of the medal table in seven of the last 11 tournaments.
The Malaysians had won only one overall crown before in 2001 when the event also took place on their home soil.
The SEA Games allow the host nation to adjust the programme to suit their strengths.
The home country can also pick between two to eight sports out of 16 listed in a third category which includes Southeast Asia’s favourites such as sepak takraw.
The hosts often axe sports or organise only a limited number of disciplines that their rivals are good at.
The Philippines will host the next Games in 2019 and their officials have promised a fair tournament.
One may wonder if it will be as they have won the overall title only once — when the Games took place in their country.
Don’t criticise swimmers
Only six Thai sports associations bettered their pre-tournament targets — badminton, taekwondo, tennis, squash, basketball and netball.
Twelve associations just met their goals and 23 missed their targets including athletics, swimming, muay (Muay Thai) and boxing.
Thai swimmers could only take home two gold medals from Phiangkhwan Pawapotako and Nuttapong Ketin in the women and men’s 200m breaststroke events respectively.
Singapore topped the medal table of the sport with 19 golds followed by Vietnam, who got 10.
It’s not surprising that the two countries were successful at the Games as Singapore had Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, who won six golds, and Vietnam had “Little Mermaid” Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, who claimed eight titles.
Phiangkhwan and Nuttapong’s wins were impressive judging from the fact that Nuttapong was kicked out of the last Games in 2015 for using a banned substance and that Phiangkhwan beat Nguyen.
“You should not cricitise the [Thai] swimming association because you could be in trouble. You should know who the association’s president is,” joked a commentator on a radio programme.
The president is Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.
Champions of complaints
Thailand may have finished second overall at the 29th SEA Games but they were the undisputed champions of complaints.
A number of Thai athletes and officials complained about several things at KL 2017 ranging from food to transportation and judging.
Thailand’s most vocal critics were their women’s volleyball players who complained that there was no bus to take them to their hotel from the airport and there was not enough breakfast for them at the hotel.
When they won the title — the country’s 11th in a row in women’s volleyball — some Thai newspapers called the achievement a “revenge” although the hosts were not involved in the final.
Farcical moments
While Thailand complained about judging in certain sports, they were also involved in a farce.
There were five Thai fighters in the finals of muay (Muay Thai) but only two won their bouts — Anueng Khatthamarasri and Mana Sumchaiyapoom.
In the 57kg title bout, Thachtana Luangphon was edged 29-28 by Ain Kamarrudin from Malaysia.
Another Malaysian fighter, Mohd Ali Yaakub, beat Surachai Nakthaem in the 54kg final.
Chonlawit Preedasak failed in his efforts to get the better of Cambodia’s Khun Dima in 63.5kg title clash.
Thailand coach Surat Sianglor later claimed that Thailand could not sweep all five golds because of “politics”.
He said “senior people” had asked him to “give” some gold medals to the hosts.
If Thailand were completely dominant in their traditional sport, it could be axed from the future SEA Games, he said.
It could also reduce Muay Thai’s chances of becoming an Olympic sport, Surat said.
The “cake-sharing agreement” is still being cricised by the Thai press and fans. However, the country’s Muay Thai authorities have been silent since.
Who’s the boss?
Thailand won the most coveted gold medal after beating Malaysia 1-0 in the men’s football final for their third straight crown.
Coach Worrawoot Srimaka, who is nicknamed Yong, was heavily criticised for leaving out a couple of in-form players from the squad and after his team got off to a stuttering start to KL 2017.
With the success, Worrawoot is now dubbed “Mourin-yong” after Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.
However, Worrawoot has been overshadowed by Watanya Wongopasi, manager of the men’s football team.
Affectionately called “Madame Dear”, Watanya has probably been in the headlines more often than Worrawoot.
It seems that Thai journalists preferred interviewing her more — both before and after a game.
Muay fighter Thachtana Luangphon, left, lost to Malaysia’s Ain Kamarrudin.
Thai men’s football coach Worrawoot Srimaka and manager Watanya Wongopasi