At the Athletes’ Village in Naypyitaw, Team Myanmar will be housed in a section labelled Gold Camp. Myanmar’s Sports Minister Tint Hsan has also set a target of 100 gold medals for the nation’s more than 1,000 athletes competing across the Games’ 33 sports.
For many in this football-mad nation, it will not matter if their athletes fall short of the target, so long as the Myanmar Under-23 team win the football title. The White Angels, as the team is known, last struck gold at the 1973 SEA Games in Singapore, their fifth consecutive title after triumphs in 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971.
Captained by celebrated striker Suk Bahadur, Myanmar were an Asian powerhouse in the 1960s and ’70s, winning the Asian Games gold in 1966 and 1970 and finishing second at the 1968 Asian Cup in Iran.
Even Deputy Sports Minister Thaung Htike admitted that winning the football final on Dec 21 in front of a capacity 30,000-crowd at Zeyar Thiri Stadium is the goal.
“The football gold medal is very important,” he said. “If we have no gold medals in other sports ... but the men get gold in football, the whole nation will be happy.
“The men’s football team has to get into the final at least. I’m not confident of (sell-out) crowds in all the stadiums, but if the men go to the final, people will come from Yangon, Mandalay and other parts of Myanmar to Naypyitaw. The stadium will be full and we will have many spectators.”
Helmed by head coach Park Sung Hwa, the national U-23 team will face Thailand, Indonesia, Timor Leste and Cambodia in Group B in Yangon, while Group A, with matches held in Naypyitaw, comprises Singapore, defending champions Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and the Philippines. The semi-finals and final will also be held in Naypyitaw.
As part of their preparations, the White Angels, who finished third at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, have been training and competing with clubs and teams in South Korea and Japan since the middle of last month.
At the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia in September, they finished runner-up after losing 0-2 to Malaysia in the final. They have also qualified as one of the 16 teams for the AFC U-22 Championship and will face hosts Oman in their opening match next January.
Flamboyant striker Si Thu Aung — the 17-year-old Yangon United player who impressed with his dribbling skills at the 2013 AFF U-19 Championship — and midfielder Kyaw Min will be the ones to watch.
“These two players are very talented and very important for the SEA Games, but they need more international experience,” said Ko Ko Thein, the Myanmar Football Federation Director of President’s Office and Logistics.
“Football is the No 1 sport in Myanmar. If we get the gold medal, it will be no problem if we don’t get medals in other events.
“Defending champions Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam will be tough to beat, but our team have a good chance.”
Aside from football, sports like sepak takraw, chinlone, wrestling, cycling, dragonboat, weightlifting, wushu and body building are also expected to deliver golds for Myanmar.
Judoka Hein Latt Zaw, 26, is hoping to capture one. Said the transport and administrative officer, who has a SEA Games gold (Laos 2009) and two silver (2007, 2011) in the U-60kg category: “I spent 45 days training in Tokyo to prepare for this.
“I am very excited as this is the first time I am competing in the SEA Games in my country.
“My father is also a judoka and he taught me the sport when I was six, so I hope he can come and watch me compete. I want to win the gold medal for Myanmar.”
Diver Naung Kyar, 21, is also gunning for medal success after narrowly missing out on a bronze in the men’s 10m synchronised platform at the 2011 SEA Games.
The University of East Yangon graduate had spent three weeks training with the eight-strong national diving team at the Wunna Theikdi Swimming Pool last month and is aiming for bronze in both the men’s 10m platform and 3m springboard.
“I have been training very hard and feel good physically and mentally,” he said.
“I am very happy and excited that the SEA Games is coming soon. I have attended three SEA Games and I’m looking forward to meeting my friends from other countries.”
