Badminton brings SEAGames\'crowds out

Badminton took centre stage at the Southeast Asian Games Sunday as Indonesia drew on raucous home support to reach the final of the women's team event at the expense of arch-rivals Malaysia. The 3-1 win, played over five hours in front of a packed and boisterous badminton arena in central Jakarta, set the standard for the men's team who were on course for victory in their semi after taking a 2-1 lead over Thailand. The hosts have taken a commanding lead at the top of the medals table with 33 golds and 69 podium finishes overall, with Thailand recovering from a poor opening day to move into second with 12 golds, one ahead of Vietnam. Badminton, which is wildly popular in the region and a source of great national pride, promises more medals for the hot-favourite hosts. But it started badly for the men's team, with star player and former World and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat losing meekly to talented young Thai Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in his singles match. Indonesia levelled the tie at 1-1 with a win for pair Septano Bona and Mohammad Ahsan, and then took the lead through second singles winner Simon Santoso. Olympic doubles champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan were expected to outclass their Thai opponents to complete the win, but were level at 1-1 late Sunday, raising the possibility of the tie going to the wire. Earlier Indonesia's women's team booked a place in Monday's final after a convincing 3-1 victory over arch-rivals Malaysia. Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Anneke Feinya Agustine sealed the win over the Malaysian second doubles pair, sparking joy in the packed arena, with virtually all of the spectators cheering for the hosts. Malaysian coach Rexy Mainaky -- an Indonesian -- said inexperience had cost his team a place in the final. "The individuals have to feel they need each other in the team," said the former Olympic champion, lamenting the decision-making of first singles player Tee Jing Yi. "There was a lack of patience at crucial times. But we dragged the Indonesian team for five hours, which is a good thing for our young team." The team event consists of three singles and two doubles matches, with the first nation to reach three wins progressing. Crowds swathed in Indonesia's red and white colours, with many wielding vuvuzela horns, gathered in central Jakarta ahead of the evening football match between Indonesia and Thailand, who have laboured in the group stage. The Thais are battling to avoid an early exit from the under-23s tournament after a lacklustre start to their campaign in which they lost to defending champions Malaysia and beaten a dismal Cambodia. "We're not out yet," team manager Kasem Jariyawatwong was quoted by Thailand's The Nation newspaper as saying. "We have two matches left to fight for our survival... we'll keep fighting," he said, adding that he expected to face a "cauldron" of home fans. With a break in the track and field action in the South Sumatran city of Palembang -- which is co-hosting the Games -- martial arts, canoeing and roller sports provided much of the day's early entertainment. Vietnam surged up the table to third with a string of karate and taekwondo golds, with Thailand, table toppers in the 2009 Games, a nose ahead in second after securing 12 first place finishes. Indonesia was awarded the Games in 2006, but the government has been criticised for failing to release cash to organisers Inasoc to build venues, causing an embarrassing delay to the athletes' village in Palembang. In an echo of India's graft-hit Commonwealth Games last year, the ruling party's treasurer allegedly pocketed $3 million in bribes from a firm seeking tenders, and then fled to Colombia with the spoils. By Sunday the problems appeared to have died down, with athletes focused on the competition, although there were reports of food poisoning hitting Malaysian and Singaporean teams in Palembang. The biennial Games are big news in southeast Asia, capturing the imagination of the competing nations, with dozens of gold medals and regional sporting supremacy at stake.