The Thais clinched four medals, including a gold with a new Games record in the men's 4x100m relay in Busan, South Korea, four years ago.

The men and women sprinters are out to relive that well-earned glory.

"Our athletes have been training in Chiang Mai since October 8. They are in great form," national head coach Police Maj-General Supanut Ariyamongkol, also deputy secretary-general of the Athletic Association of Thailand, told The Nation.

"The chances of our athletes are much brighter this time. They are training hard and will make a determined effort to win laurels for the sake of their families and the Kingdom," Supanut said.

"In Busan, our men's 4x100 team took the gold with a Games record of 38.82 seconds, while the women's quartet took the silver with a time of 44.25secs. I'm quite sure that both teams will leave their imprint in Doha.

"I don't want to speculate on the number of gold medals, but I'm upbeat about the prospects of our athletes. They can do it and they will do it there."

It all started in the 13th Asian Championships in 2000 where the men's 4x100m relay team snatched the gold medal with a meet record of 38.80secs. They repeated the feat two years later in Colombo. In the Asian Games in Busan, sprint king Rienchai Seehawong, Vissanu Sophanich, Ekkachai Janthana and Sittichai Suwornprateep defied all the odds to win the event.

"We are in the process of blooding new talent since experienced sprinters such as Rienchai have called it a day," Supanut said. "The new relay team will not let us down. They have already proved their talent in international tournaments. They finished second behind Japan in the Asian meet in Incheon, South Korea last year.

"I think in Doha, our team and the Japanese have an equal chance of winning the gold. Our boys have improved their baton-passing technique and are raring to go. They have no worries except to go and bring back the gold medal," he said.

The women's foursome of Sangwan Jaksunil, Orranut Klomdee, Juthamas Thaworncharoen and Nongnuch Sanrat are the Kingdom's best hope.

They have captured four consecutive gold medals in major events. Apart from making it two times in a row in the Asian Championships, the Thai girls also captured the gold in the Philippines Championships last year and the Asian Open Track and Field Championships in Jiangsu, China, where they relegated the two Chinese national teams to second and third places. "Our girls are in superb form. At Incheon, they not only took the gold, but also set their personal best time of 44.18. They got the nod from the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) to represent Asia in the IAAF World Cup in Athens last September.

"They will be our best bet in athletics in Doha. Chinese girls have won the event for the past five Games and I am looking forward to the day when our girls beat them and shatter their dreams of retaining the crown," Supanut said.

The coach is expecting Buaban Phamang to spring a surprise in the women's javelin and Theerayuth Pilakong to excel in the men's triple jump. They have shown consistent form during training and staff coaches are quite optimistic they will better their SEA Games records.

Nungruthai Chaipetch will be no match for the Russian-born Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan athletes in the women's high jump. Nungruthai's best jump is 1.91m while her rivals go over two metres. But it's not going to stop her. "It will be a difficult mission for Nungruthai in Doha," Supanut said.

Long-distance runners Boonchu Chandecha, who won the last year's SEA Games marathon, and Boonthung Srisang, double gold medallist in Manila, will participate but Supanut is not so hopeful of the outcome. "The Middle East countries have been fielding African-born runners. They are all professionals running in various marathons all over the world. Japan and South Korea have a great tradition in distance running.

"The athletes we are taking to Doha are all medallists in the SEA Games. More than half of them are gold medal winners. They will do their utmost to bring home glory," Supanut said.

Preechachan Wiriyanupappong

The Nation