REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NAYPYITAW -- Thailand are well on track to make a clean sweep of all four gold medals in the sport of football.
The men’s and women’s futsal teams have already qualified for the final.
The women’s football team also secured their place in the final but only after narrowly beating host Myanmar in a dramatic battle that was decided on penalties.
The men’s football team are in the semis where they will face Singapore later tonight.
Thai FA president Worawi Makudi, as reported by aseanfootball.org, had admitted before the SEA Games that their target is to win all four gold medals.
Thailand are the defending champions for both the men’s and women’s futsal events and on paper, are strong bets to retain the titles.
They are also likely to retain the women’s football which was last held in 2009.
But the toughest yet most important gold that the Thais are dying for is the men’s football gold, considered the mother of all gold medals in every SEA Games.
Malaysia are the defending champions and won the gold in 2009 and again, in 2011. But the Thais are hoping to break that and reclaim the gold for the first time since 2007.
Prior to that, the Thais had won the gold a record eight times, consecutively since 1993.
‘Our target is to win the gold medal again. We will do our best to achieve this target,’ said Thai coach Kiatisuk Senamuang, himself a former SEA Games gold medalist.
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