TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2015 SPORTS SEA Games showcase region’s rapid growth SINGAPORE: The 28th Southeast Asian British colonial outpost, the Lion City has town hotels. In a country where income tors in almost all of the disciplines, par- appearances but is going for an Games (SEA Games) begins in Singapore been transformed into a global financial tax is low and crime rare, there are few ticularly badminton, SEA countries gen- unprecedented nine in his home city next week, an event that promises to powerhouse and home to many of the concerns about crowd disturbances, erally excel in non-Olympic and combat this time. showcase the region’s spectacular eco- world’s mega-rich. although police said there would be a sports. Thailand is the most successful For Singapore’s new head swimming nomic growth as much as the athletes Singapore asked to host the SEA big security presence. nation, winning a combined total of coach, former Spanish Olympian Sergio and their competitions. Games this year as part of its 50th For spectators, most events will be 1,994 gold medals over the 27 complet- Lopez, Schooling’s profile and ambitions Like all regional multi-sports events, anniversary of independence from free to watch while tickets for high-pro- ed editions of the Games. sum up the significance of the event, the SEA Games struggles for mainstream Malaysia, a year-long celebration which file sports such as swimming sold out Most of the competing countries which officially runs from June 5-16, but recognition outside its own borders, but has taken on added poignancy following quickly. For the competitors themselves, have offered some sort of cash incentive will kick off on Friday with preliminary for the 11 competing countries, the the death in March of Singapore’s first the biennial SEA games are like a mini- for any athlete who wins a gold medal rounds of men’s soccer. stakes could hardly be higher. prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Olympics, bringing enormous pride to and hired foreign coaches to give them “We’re here to win. If you don’t win, Around 7,000 athletes will flock to the Most of the events will be held at the the competing nations: Brunei, the best chance of success. you give your 100 percent, you might tiny city-state for the June 5-16 event, new $1 billion Sports Hub, which fea- Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Of all the athletes at the Games, few cry for five minutes, but you have to competing in 36 different sports for tures a 55,000-seat national stadium that Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, will be under more pressure to succeed stand up and keep moving forward,” more than 400 gold medals. opened last year. Thailand, Vietnam and East Timor. that Singaporean swimmer Joseph Lopez told Reuters. From humble beginnings in 1959, the Local officials are also using many Most of the sports are on the Olympic Schooling. Just 19, Schooling has “I know swimming has been a big SEA Games has steadily grown into venues that were built for the 2010 programme but organisers also offer tra- become his country’s big hope for next sport in the Southeast Asian environ- Southeast Asia’s biggest multi-sports Youth Olympics, keeping costs down so ditional events that keep faith with the year’s Rio Olympics after winning a silver ment for Singapore bringing in medals. event, mirroring the region’s increasing they can run everything on a budget of region’s eclectic cultural mix, such pen- medal at last year’s Commonwealth But for me, I need to change the mind- financial muscle. S$324.5 million ($241.77 million). cak silat, sepak takraw and dragon boat Games and a gold at the Asian Games. set... why can’t we be one of the best Nowhere is this better illustrated than Rather than build an athlete’s village, racing. Although the various teams He has already won seven SEA Games smallest nations in the world? We need in the host-city Singapore. Once a sleepy competitors will be housed in down- boast a number of world class competi- gold medals from his two previous to think that way.” —Reuters Montoya keeps Powers at bay to win second Indy 500 INDIANAPOLIS: Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya came from the back of the pack and outran his team mate over the closing laps to the win the 99th Indianapolis 500 for a second time on Sunday. Montoya, who won his Indy 500 debut in 2000, survived an early collision that forced him into the pits and dropped him to 30th place before mounting a stirring charge and storming to a one-car length win. “When I came through the field, I knew I had a really great car. But it was hard,” said Montoya. “Oh my God! That was awesome.” “This is what racing and IndyCar is all about. Awesome racing all the way down to the wire.” Returning to IndyCar last year after stints in NASCAR and Formula One, Montoya took the lead with four laps to go and fought off a challenge from Australian Will Power. American Charlie Kimball was third. MONACO: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain touches his face in this file The IndyCar Series win was his fourth, two coming at photo. —AP the sprawling 2.5 mile speedway. The victory was also 16th for team owner Roger Penske, giving him the rare Daytona 500-Indy 500 double. Monaco will make Hamilton After a crash filled buildup to the race, a mix of excite- ment and apprehension hung over the famed Brickyard as stronger, says Hakkinen the 33-car field took the command to start their engines. The trepidation proved well placed with cars driven by MONACO: Lewis Hamilton can turn “Millions of fans looking at it and asking Sage Karam and Takuma Sato coming together in the first Monaco misery into a Canadian celebration why? It’s hard to be a driver sitting there corner of the opening lap, bringing out the yellow flag. because every setback makes you stronger, and have to answer these questions. “But Problems continued on the restart when Simon De according to retired double world champi- you have to go on, you have to go flat out. Silvestro, one of two women in the field, ran into the back on Mika Hakkinen. You have to build up your confidence of Montoya sending both drivers into the pits for repairs. “‘I’m going to win the next one’. That will inside more and challenge the next grand After last year’s race went 149 laps without a caution be his motivation. You cannot just start get- prix. There’s a long way to go in the season. flag, the first 11 laps of the 99th edition were run under yel- ting depressed about it,” the Finn, who And Monaco is an example that anything low before the field finally settled into a rhythm with overcame his own share of race setbacks, can happen.” Ganassi team mates pole sitter Scott Dixon and 2013 win- told Reuters. “You have to learn and analyse Sunday’s race had a Hamilton victory ner Tony Kanaan setting the pace. everything that has happened, and get written all over it. He was fastest in practice, With 100 miles to go, the race had boiled down to a bat- stronger and better.” Hakkinen, champion qualified on pole and led from the start by tle between IndyCar’s two powerhouse outfits with Penske with McLaren in 1998 and 1999, knows all a comfortable margin until the safety car and Ganassi cars occupying the top six places. about that from bitter experience. came out near the end. A spectacular crash involving Stefano Coletti, Jack At the 1999 Italian Grand Prix, he While others stayed out, the Briton came Hawksworth and Sebastian Saavedra brought out the final sobbed in bushes by the side of the track in for fresh tyres in what turned out to be a yellow of the day. That set up a wild sprint for the check- after making a basic error and crashing out needless stop. He finished third. Mercedes ered flag, Montoya blasting past Dixon and Power and while leading. motorsport head Toto Wolff apologised for staying in front the final four laps as the crowd of close to In Spain in 2001, the Finn suffered one the error but said Hamilton, whose champi- 250,000 stood and roared. “I was trying to keep the lead of the cruellest blows when his McLaren’s onship lead over team mate and race win- because I knew, with the heat, the tires would degrade and engine blew on the last lap while he was ner Nico Rosberg was halved to 10 points, eventually they wouldn’t be able to go round,” said Power, coasting to victory. would fight back at the next race, the sev- the reigning IndyCar series champion. “Montoya got that “All these things that happen in motor enth of the season, in Montreal. last run and maybe I was a bit nice to him into turn one racing or in life, they make you stronger “He has such mental strength and is on and lifted. because you learn from those things. It’s a roll. It must be very sore to lose that one, “That was serious racing there, it was a lot of fun. “Full just very hard in the position you are sit- because it was his to win. I have no doubt credit to the team, finishing one-two. Congrats to Juan, he INDIANAPOLIS: Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, poses with the Borg-Warner ting, in the racing car, when everyone is he will recover as quickly as he always did,” was very strong all day and had to come through the Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor staring at you,” said Hakkinen.