South-East Asia Achieves Historic Athletics Success at Asian Games
South-East Asian athletes shine at the Asian Games with their best performance since 1978, securing multiple medals and setting records.
A Proud Moment for South-East Asian Athletes
On September 25, during the women’s 100m final at the Asian Games, Singapore’s Shanti Pereira experienced a wave of pride. With half of the eight competitors hailing from South-East Asia, the event showcased the growing talent from the region.
Joining Pereira in the final were Thailand's Jirapat Khanonta and Sukanda Petraksa, along with Jessica Laurance from the Philippines. This was the first occurrence since the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul that four sprinters from South-East Asia reached this prestigious final.
Impressive Medal Haul
The athletics events at Paloma Mizuho Stadium concluded on September 29, marking a notable success for South-East Asian competitors. The team secured five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals, a remarkable achievement that hasn't been seen since the 1978 Games in Bangkok, where they also won five golds.
Pereira, who clinched a silver in the 100m behind China's Chen Yujie and defended her title in the 200m two days later, expressed her excitement: “I’m very honoured to be part of this incredible 100m final representation. We are growing and becoming competitive on the Asian stage.”
A Revival in Athletics
Historically, the best performance by South-East Asian athletes at the Asian Games was in 1962, where they earned seven golds. However, from 1986 to 2023, the region struggled to make a significant mark, achieving only two golds at the 2006, 2018, and 2023 Games.
This year in Nagoya, talents like Shanti Pereira and 20-year-old Puripol Boonson demonstrated the resurgence of South-East Asian athletics with outstanding performances. Boonson made history as one of only four athletes from the region to win both the 100m and 200m sprint titles, clocking a Games record of 9.90 seconds in the 100m and equaling the Asian record of 19.88 seconds in the 200m.
Boonson also contributed to Thailand's success, winning a silver medal in the mixed 4x100m relay, while Joshua Atkinson secured Thailand's first-ever gold in the 400m at the Asian Games.
Noteworthy Achievements
The final day of the athletics competition highlighted more achievements for South-East Asia, notably with Filipino Ernest Obiena defending his men’s pole vault title and setting a meet record of 5.91m, improving on his prior record by 0.01m.
Puripol commented on the region's growing sprinting talent, stating, “I believe South-East Asian sprinters have great potential in 200m events for both men and women. Thailand is proving its strength in Asia.”
In addition to the gold and silver performances, Thailand's relay team also claimed a silver medal in the women’s 4x100m, while Subenrat Insaeng earned a bronze in the women’s discus throw.
South-East Asia also collected bronzes through the Philippines’ John Tolentino in the men’s 110m hurdles, Victoria Bossong in the women’s 800m, and Vietnam's 4x400m relay team, showcasing the region’s depth in talent.
Chinese Dominance Continues
The athletics events saw China once again dominating the medal table, claiming 17 golds, 14 silvers, and eight bronzes. During the final day, they secured three of the nine golds available, featuring outstanding performances like Zhang Jiale setting an Asian record in women’s hammer throw.
Japan, the host nation, finished second in the overall standings, followed by Bahrain. Singapore concluded their campaign in a tie for 10th, with a notable gold and silver from Pereira.
Pereira's team set a national record of 41.66 seconds in the mixed 4x100m relay heats, finishing fourth. After recovering from a hamstring injury, Marc Louis joined the final lineup, and the team improved their record to 41.19 seconds.
“It was exhilarating to compete as a team. Everyone performed admirably, and being able to run with Asia’s fastest woman was a privilege,” Louis said, reflecting on the thrill of running together.
