Amassing ?a total of ?83 gold medals after seven days of competition, the Malaysian contingent ?enter ??the ?eight?h day  of action on Sunday (27 Aug) in high spirits and remained on course for the coveted SEA Games overall title.
The national football team, under the helm of Datuk Ong Ki?m Swee capped a good outing for Malaysia with a spirited 1-0 victory over archrival Indonesia i?n? last night’s (26 Aug) pulsating match at Shah Alam Stadium which sent the whole nation into a frenzy. An explosive final action await fans as Malaysia take on defending champions Thailand on Tuesday (29 Aug) in the much-awaited encounter at Bukit Jalil National Stadium.Â
With 15 gold medals in the bag yesterday (26 Aug), the hosts continue to pull away from their rivals, leaving closest contender Vietnam trailing on second spot with a difference of 33 gold medals.
Following their impressive golden exploits in swimming (10 gold) and 16 in athletics, Vietnam continue to push hard to narrow the gap in the remaining three days of competition, raking in seven gold on Saturday to tally their overall medal standings at 50 gold, 34 silver, 43 bronze medals. Â
Malaysia lead the standings with 83-58-54 while Singapore are now third with 46-36-52.
Powerhouse Thailand, despite being represented by a large contingent and competing in all sports, are stuck on the fourth spot with 44-65-64.
Indonesia, gearing up for next year’s Asian Games, are fifth ?with ?31-44-54 while the Games next hosts Philippines, with a target of 50 gold, are now sixth in the standing with 18-25-47.
Myanmar ?clinched ?six gold? medal?, one each for Laos and Cambodia while Brunei and Timor Lester have yet to garner any gold.
With 34 gold medal?s? in contention on Sunday (27 Aug)?, ?Malaysia will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the standings as track cycling begins its programme with 4 gold ?medals ?on offer.
Following the completion of athletics and swimming, the focus is now shifted to the newly built National Velodrome in Nilai. The hosts will need to live up to its top billings as the region’s track cycling powerhouse as it seek to rake in at least 11 of the 13 gold medals contested in the track events.
Led by reigning world champion Azizulhasni Awang and women ace cyclist Fatehah Mustapha, Malaysia will looking to dominate the track in today’s men’s team sprint, women’s team sprint, men’s scratch race and the women’s omnium.
Apart from track cycling, taekwondo and sailing in Langkawi each has four gold on offer, snooker/billiards (3) judo (3), two gold each in in diving, futsal, rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, lawn bowls, sepak takraw and volleyball.Â
Waterski and pencak silat each ?has? one gold medal at stake ?o?n Sunday (27 Aug).
Elsewehere, as the Games head into? the final phase, fans and spectators continue to flock the ?various ?competition venues within the three main clusters in KL Sports City in Bukit Jalil, the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) as well as ?other venues in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Langkawi and Putrajaya.
The penultimate day of competition on Tuesday features the biggest number of gold medals, where athletes and are set to ?scramble and ?fight hard ?to ?stake claim? on?? the? 60 gold at stake on 29 August.
