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Published on September 26, 2007

As the curtain came down on the games, the capital's athletes again claimed the spotlight throughout the 11 days of the annual sporting event, registering the maximum number of medals on offer each day. Runners-up Suphan Buri were 95 gold medals adrift of the perennial champions.

With the matter of the overall title long decided, the only challenge left for Bangkok was whether they could surpass the mark of 127 gold medals they won in Suphan Buri last year.

The doubt was quickly dispelled when their tennis team scooped three gold in men's and women's singles and mixed doubles to make a clean sweep of seven medals available in the sport.

Their volleyball teams, with national players making the core of the squads, followed suit with victories in the men's and women's. The volleyball dominance stretched over to the beach with easy wins in both men's and women's classes.

Rugby was another sport in which the Bangkokians enjoyed a monopoly. The victory in the men's event followed the success in the rugby sevens.

Bangkok's men's handball team also tasted glory by disposing of Suphan Buri 34-27.

The blemish on a glorious day for the Bangkok team came in sepak takraw and snooker.

The capital side was at the wrong end of the 2-1 result which saw Chon Buri come from behind to seal an upset victory in the sepak takraw team category.

Cueist Nopphadol Sangnin suffered a 5-3 reversal to Saraburi's Wanchana Pumjang in the snooker singles final.

Suphan Buri pipped Chiang Mai to secure second spot by virtue of their superior silver medal count after finishing tied on 36 gold.

Of 76 provinces contesting the games, only three teams, Trat, Mae Hong Son and Nong Bua Lamphu, failed to claim any medal.

Phitsanulok will host the next Games in December next year.

Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation

Nakhon Si Thammarat