SEA Olympics Final R3

South-east Asia’s pursuit of Olympic glory From the time Filipino swimmer Teolo Yldefonso won a bronze medal in swimming at the 1928 Olympics, South-east Asian athletes have gone on to show that the Olympics is not too big a stage for the region’s best to shine. Athletes from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam have won a total of 72 Olympic medals. But only Thailand and Indonesia have struck gold. Can another nation join them in Rio? THAILAND INDONESIA MALAYSIA PHILIPPINES SINGAPORE VIETNAM Total tally: 24 Total tally: 27 Total tally: 6 Total tally: 9 Total tally: 4 Total tally: 2 Gold7 Silver6 Bronze11 6Gold 10Silver Bronze11 Silver3 Bronze3 Silver2 Bronze7 Silver2 Bronze2 Silver2 Best events by medals won Best events by medals won Best events by medals won Best events by medals won Best events by medals won Best events by medals won Boxing Weightlifting Taekwondo Badminton Weightlifting Archery Badminton Diving Boxing Athletics Swimming Table tennis Weightlifting Weightlifting Taekwondo 14 7 3 18 8 1 5 1 5 2 2 3 1 1 1 Reward for gold Reward for gold Reward for gold Reward for gold Reward for gold Reward for gold • 10 million baht (S$387,000). • Five billion Indonesian rupiah • RM1 million (S$333,000) • 10 million pesos (S$288,000) • $1 million • No ofcial reward scheme. Private • There is an ongoing review to (S$517,000) • A lifetime monthly pension of sponsors have pledged prizes increase this by 20 per cent. • A lifetime annual pension of at RM5,000, ranging from luxury watches to cash least 10 million rupiah (S$1,038). of close to US$100,000 ($134,000). Boxer Somluck Kamsing won the Indonesia won its rst gold Like Indonesia, Malaysia has The Philippines was the rst Singapore’s rst Olympic medal Vietnam’s rst medal came kingdom’s rst Olympic gold in medals in Barcelona 1992 when relied on badminton at the South-east Asian country to win came in Rome 1960 when from taekwondo exponent Tran Atlanta 1996. Since then, the Susi Susanti and Alan Olympics. But unlike its an Olympic medal when weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won Hieu Ngan, a silver in the sport has contributed three more Budikusuma, who would later neighbours, it has yet to win the swimmer Teolo Yldefonso the silver in the lightweight event. women’s 57kg class in Sydney Olympic titles, while Thailand’s marry each other, took the top prize. Sidek brothers Razif (above) took home a bronze in But it would have to wait 48 years 2000. Eight years later in weightlifters have also added women’s and men’s singles titles. and Jalani won Malaysia’s rst the men’s 200m breaststroke in before its second, also a silver, this Beijing, weightlifter Hoang Anh three golds. It was also boxing The ve medals won in 1992, Olympic medal in 1992. Hopes Amsterdam 1928. But while time from the women’s table tennis Tuan (above) was second in which won Thailand’s rst medal when the sport made its Olympic for a gold in Rio will again rest swimming was the sport in team in 2008. The Republic did not the men’s 56kg. in 1976 – a bronze by Payao debut, set the tone for on Lee Chong Wei, a two-time which the nation rst made a have to endure another long wait Poontarat. Indonesia’s Olympic future. Its 18 Olympic silver medallist and splash, it is boxing which has for more medals as table tennis medals in badminton is second current world No. 1. won ve of its nine medals added two more bronzes in London only to China’s 38. including Anthony Villananueva's 2012, including Feng Tianwei's feat Tokyo 1964 featherweight silver. in the women's singles. NOTE: The other South-east Asian countries Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos and Myanmar have yet to win a medal. PHOTOS: THE NATION, NP FILE, THE STAR PUBLICATION, ST FILE, AFP SUNDAY TIMES GRAPHICS.

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