KUALA LUMPUR: Hosts Malaysia will be flashing big smiles from their golden start when they march into the National Stadium for the opening of the 29th SEA Games tomorrow night.
The full force of the battle for the 404 gold medals at stake in 38 sports will unleash from Sunday with tenpin bowling, wushu, table tennis, archery recurve, artistic gymastics and equestrian (endurance) going into action followed by swimming, fencing and shooting on Monday.
The home contingent clinched three of the four gold at stake today to stay at the top of the medal tally with seven gold, four silver and three bronze followed by Singapore, Myanmar and Indonesia with two gold each.
Compound archers Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh and Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki retained the mixed team title soon after marathon swimmers Kevin Yeap and Heidi Gan broke the day with the men’s and women’s gold in the gruelling open water 10km contest.
In synchronised swimming, homesters Zylane Lee Yhing Huey and Gan Hua Wei settled for a silver in the duet technical routine pipped by the more superior Singapore pair of Debbie Soh and Miya Yong Hsing,
Malaysia closed the compound contest with three gold, one short of their haul in Singapore. Fatin and Mohd Juwaidi brushed aside Myanmar’s Ye Min Swe and Aung Ngeain 152-142 to collect their second gold in the Games after winning in the team event overnight,
The Putrajaya Water Sports Complex provided a fitting finale for 28-year-old Kevin who announced his retirement after taking his second ever Games gold. He was the 400m freestyle title holder and a bronze medallist in the 10km open water event last held in the Palembang Games in 2011.
“This will be my last race. I want to retire after this and I thank my family, my coach and everyone who supported me. It was a tough race, I gave the best that I could even though I was tired. I can feel my competitors were right behind me all the time. I didn’t dare to look back,” he said.
He clocked 2’03:18s to fend off Thailand’s Peerapat Lertsathapornsuk who arrived in 2’05:41s.
Two-time Olympian Heidi Gan clocked 2’11:02s leaving Thailand’s Benjaporn Sriphanomthorn and Singapore’s Chantal Liew Li Shan trailing for the silver and bronze respectively.-- BERNAMA