Myanmar to appear in Southeast Asia youth track and field tournament

China View 2008-05-21

YANGON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar youth track and field team will take part in the upcoming 3rd Southeast Asia (SEA) Youth Track and Field Tournament in Phuket, Thailand, according to official local language newspaper The Myanma Alin on Wednesday.

The six-member Myanmar youth track and field team, comprising two male athletes -- San Naing and Kyaw Soe Naing, and two female athletes -- Khin Mar Sae and Nwe Nwe Zaw Win, will participate in the regional youth track and field tournament slated for May 22-23,the paper said.

San Naing and Khin Mar Sae will compete in the 1,500-meter event, Kyaw Soe Naing in the 400-meter and Nwe Nwe Zaw Win in the long jump, it added.

The Myanmar youth track and field team pocketed one gold and one bronze in the 1st SEA Youth Track and Field Tournament and got one bronze in the second edition of the regional event.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar track and field team was the most successful sport team for the country in the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines in December 2005, pocketing four gold, three silver and one bronze medals. The Myanmar athletes got gold medals in women's 400-meter relay, women's 400-meter, women's200-meter and men's 1,500-meter events.

However, in the 24th SEA Games in Thailand in December 2007, Myanmar did not get gold medals, gaining only four silver medals in women's 400-meter, women's 400-meter relay, women's 10,000-meter and women's marathon, and five bronze medals in women's 200-meter, women's 800-meter, women's 5,000-meter, women's 20-kilometer walk and men's 10,000-meter.

With the longest history among other sport federations in Myanmar, the Myanmar Track and Field Federation (MTFF), which was formed on July 8, 1947, was the only sport federation participating in all SEA Games since 1959 without absence and getting gold medals for the country in most editions of the regional games except four editions.

The MTFF have got 562 medals -- 173 golds, 171 silvers and 218 bronzes, from SEA Games up till now.

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