Laos satisfied with silver, sepak takraw manager says

Lao sepak takraw team manager Khamvanh Nanthavong said the main goal of his team was to be good hosts and they were not expecting any major triumphs at the SEA Games.

Champion Somesmayvong of Laos jumps to block a ball from a Thai player.

Mr Khamvanh was speaking after his team lost to Thailand in the final of the men's regu event in Vientiane yesterday.

“Our goal is to be a good host. We're not hoping for anything else so we got the silver medal today. But I was proud because our team still lacks experience. We can't compete with the Thai players because they have so much more experience,” he said.

In the final match of the men's regu event, Thailand took the gold medal 2-0 with scores of 21-16 and 21-12.

Mr Khamvanh said his team had only two years of experience but the Thai team had been in the sport for 10 years, so their levels were very different.

At the start of the game, Laos and Thailand were level and there was almost no difference in score. But the Thai team started to pull away and Laos lagged behind to finish in second place and take the silver medal.

“Before the next SEA Games in Indonesia , Lao sepak takraw players will get as much as experience as possible,” Mr Khamvanh promised.

The Lao sepak takraw team is now running fourth in the sport's medal tally with one silver and two bronze medals. Thailand has five gold medals, Myanmar has one gold, one silver and one bronze medal, and in third place is Vietnam with three silver medals.

In the women's regu event which took place on the same day between Thailand and Vietnam , Thailand beat Vietnam 2-1 with a score of 19-21, 21-8 and 15-9.

In today's events, the Lao women's and men's doubles teams will face Malaysia , Indonesia and Thailand at the Lao International Trade and Exhibition Convention Centre starting at 9am.

By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
(Latest Update December 16, 2009)