VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Myanmar and Vietnam won two gold medals each at the Southeast Asian Games, as eight finals were decided before the formal opening of the event later Wednesday.
Ya Min K-Khine, a 16-year-old from Myanmar, won individual gold in women's taekwondo, while the country's sepak takraw women's team also won a gold. Myanmar also won two silvers and a bronze for a total of five medals to top the table.
Vietnam won two gold medals in taekwondo Wednesday, one for men's team and one for mixed pair.
Thailand, Laos, Philippines and Singapore have bagged one gold each so far.
The games will formally open later Wednesday with a cultural extravaganza including dances and songs glorifying the traditions of the this landlocked communist country of 6.8 million people.
Laos, one of the poorest countries in the world, has not followed the lead of other communist nations such as China, Cuba and the former Soviet bloc, in producing sporting winners with state support.
"This is a major event for Laos. We have put in a lot of effort over the last two years and now we are ready to go," said Khenthong Nuanthasing, a Lao government spokesman.
The opening ceremony will be held at the 20,000-capacity main stadium, part of the new National Sports Complex built at a cost of $100 million with the help of aid from China, Japan, Brunei, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand.
Attendance at the pre-opening events has been sparse.
"Football and boxing are the most popular sports in Laos but people are not interested in other games," said Maiva Yourtongjerxiong, a 20-year-old university student.
"But still we are very excited. This is the biggest sporting event held in our country," said Yourtongjerxiong, who plans to watch swimming and football. "I would love to compete in swimming but I am not that good," she said.
Only 25 sports are being contested at the games, down from 43 sports at the last games in Thailand in 2007.
Laos won only a single gold medal each in 2001 and 2003, three golds in 2005 and five in 2007.
"Our team will try to do better this time. Let's see what we can do. Medals are important of course but most important thing for Laos is hosting these Games as a friendship game," said Nuanthasing.
There is little doubt that Thailand will dominate the biennial event once again.
Thailand won 183 gold medals in 2007, the fourth straight SEA Games where the host nation had finished atop the standings. The Philippines dominated the games in 2005, Vietnam in 2003 and Malaysia in 2001.
Thailand has won a total of 1,692 gold medals since the inception of the SEA Games in 1959. Indonesia is second with 1,377 and Malaysia third with 900 gold medals.
The SEA Games has taken on more of a Southeast Asian flavor over the years, boosting the amount of sports peculiar to the region and popular with fans while downgrading traditional sports in which its nations are less globally competitive.
The 2009 event has done away with cycling, basketball, gymnastics, hockey, rowing and weightlifting, while including or retaining dragon boat racing, wushu, Muay Thai, sepak takraw, pencak silat and Go.
Sepak Takraw is a type of volleyball played with the foot and a light ball; wushu and pencak silat are martial arts while Muay Thai is kickboxing. Go is a traditional Asian board game. In addition, there will be tenpin bowling, petanque, bodybuilding and billiards.
Athletics will have the biggest number of participants with 288, followed by football with 280 players. A total of 4,869 athletes will be vying for the 370 gold, 370 silver and 539 bronze medals on offer.
Defending champion Thailand will send the largest contingent of 842 to the SEA Games, comprising 550 athletes and 292 officials and expects to dominate athletics, boxing and Muay Thai. Laos has the second biggest contingent of 743.
