Thais out to dominate
Athletics powerhouse want to continue supremacy at the Games
THAILAND have vowed to continue their dominance in athletics at the Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games.
The Thais have emerged as overall champions in athletics in the last eight editions – since KL 2001.
And Thailand have welcomed the challenge thrown by Malaysia, who have openly declared their target of going for 40 out of the 133 golds up for grabs in track and field events.
The athletics programme begins tomorrow at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil and ends on Friday. In the last Asean Para Games in Singapore in 2015, Thailand won 30 out of the 112 gold medals on offer.
Thai team manager Anat Ratanapol, the Asian and SEA Games sprint king in the 1970s, said yesterday they are gunning to emerge as champions in athletics for the ninth consecutive Asean Para Games.
“We want to continue our dominance in athletics and we will give Malaysia a strong fight in Kuala Lumpur,” said Anat, who won three gold medals in 100m, 200m and 4x100m in the 1974 Tehran Asian Games.
Anat, who turned 70 on Sept 13, said that the Thai athletes were well prepared as they’ve been training hard for the past five months at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
“Our athletes will feature in all 133 events. They have vowed to give their best to win as many medals as possible,” said Anat, who has been the manager of the Thailand Para Games since Manila in 2005.
He revealed that Thailand managed to dominate the track and field events for the last eight editions because of their “systematic development programme”.
“Our athletes start their training programme at an early age and we have training programmes for every zone.
“We also have a big pool of athletes to choose from for the Asean Para Games,” he said.
Anat also acknowledged that he was honoured to be the manager of the para athletes.
“I have served my country both as a sprinter and as team manager of the para athletes. I love working with the athletes and I will continue to do so for as long as my services are needed,” said the legendary athlete at the National Sports Council (NSC) Training Track in Bukit Jalil.
“I love the new training track in Bukit Jalil as it is a fast track.
“We’re looking forward to competing at the National Stadium as it also has a new and fast track.
“I believe that more Asean records will be broken because of the fast track,” said Anat, who thanked us (including photographer Ibrahim Mohtar) in Bahasa – saying terima kasih – for interviewing him.