Thailand sets new gold medal record

Boxers and skaters major contributors

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Thai athletes more than compensated for the football heartbreak of the previous night by setting a new benchmark for total gold medals at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

By press time, the country's haul stood at 222 golds, with more expected before the close of competition. The figure comfortably eclipsed the previous record of 205, set by Vietnam at their home Games in 2021 — an edition delayed and disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The achievement underscored Thailand's dominance across a wide spectrum of sports, with boxing, tennis, cycling, winter disciplines and emerging team events all contributing to a historic tally.

The boxers led the way yesterday, delivering a splendid show in the ring that produced seven gold medals, with six finals still to be contested.

Thai women fighters were particularly impressive, winning six of seven finals at Chulalongkorn University Sports Centre.

Olympic bronze medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng defeated Singapore's Diane Warden Xiu Yu Leah 5-0 to secure gold in the women's 66kg division. Fellow Olympians Chuthamat Raksat and Baison Manikon also triumphed, the former beating the Philippines' Aira Villegas 5-0 in the 50kg final, while Baison overcame Vietnam's Ngoc Mai Hoang 4-1 to take the 70kg crown.