TUSSLE FOR SPRINT KING TO HYPE UP SEA GAMES THAILAND 2025 ON SECOND DAY

BANGKOK, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- The SEA Games Thailand 2025 athletics competition which opens tomorrow will be heated up with the challenge for the king of the sprint in the men's 100 metres (m) at Supachalasai Stadium, here.

On paper, home champion Puripol Boonson is the top pick and will certainly refuse to disappoint the home fans by dominating the blue ribbon event after emerging as the fastest runner in the region this season with a time of 10.15 seconds (s) recorded in Chongqing, China, in May.

However, Puripol cannot underestimate the competition from his closest challenger Lalu Muhammad Zohri of Indonesia who emerged as the second fastest sprinter in Southeast Asia this year after recording 10.21s at the tournament in Miyakonojo, Japan, in October.

The participation of young sprinter Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee is also expected to cause a surprise in his debut at the biennial sports games.

Danish, who emerged as the third fastest runner, clocked 10.26s, which was also his personal best when he won the men's 100m gold at the Malaysia Open in Kangar, Perlis.

The record not only confirmed a slot for the 2025 SEA Games for the 18-year-old athlete but also surpassed the time recorded by the last edition's gold winner, Soraoat Dabbang of Thailand in Phnom Penh, in 10.37s.

Apart from Danish, Malaysia's hopes are also placed on senior runner Jonathan Nyepa who will be competing in his sixth SEA Games since the 2015 Singapore edition.

Meanwhile, the national contingent opened the curtain on this SEA Games campaign by contributing two golds, two silvers and eight bronzes to rank seventh in the overall medal tally as of 9.30 pm, local time.

The two gold medals came from the men's five-a-side (5s) hockey squad which crushed Indonesia 7-3 and the surprise of the trio of Seah Jing Ying Seah, Wong Zin and Yow Mei Yee who won the gold in the women's team poomsae event recognised for taekwondo.

The national badminton squad was left in despair as their two-decade wait for the men's team gold continued after falling 0-3 to traditional foes, Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the hosts are at the top of the medal table with 18 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze medals followed by Indonesia (5-9-7) in second place and Singapore in third place (4-4-4).

-- BERNAMA