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SEA Games: Indon Young Guns Dash Malaysian Golden Hopes

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG Badminton Products and their Ontario (Canada) agents - SHAH Enterprises **

August 10, 1999 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - This evening at the 20th South East Asian Games now underway in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Indonesia dashed archrival Malaysia's hopes of breaking their dominance of the badminton men'= s team event and of finally taking the gold medal after many years of finishin= g up in second place. In today's best-of-five-matches championship meet, the youthful Indon team defeated their Malaysian counterparts 3 matches to none (the meaningless last two matches were not played).

Teenage sensation Taufik Hidayat humbled Wong Choon Hann in the opening singles match 15-5 and 15-2. In the men's doubles contest that followed, Eng Hian and Flandy Limpele put down the battling combination of Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah in three sets 15-3, 6-15 and 15-12. Ronny Agustinus then overcame veteran Rashid Sidek in another three-setter 15-8, 5-15 and 15-12 to give Indonesia the men's team gold medal.

The Indonesian women's badminton team also triumphed today to claim anoth= er gold medal for their country. They defeated Thailand 3 matches to none with the last two contests in the five-match championship meet left unplayed.

Cindana Hartono led off for the Indonesian women with an 11-6 and 11-1 wi= n over Sujitra Ekmongkolpaisarn. In the second contest, Lidya Djaelawidjaya drubbed Satinee Changkrajangwong 11-0 and 11-2. Etty Tantri and Chynthia Tuwankotta then clinched the gold medal for Indonesia when they beat Saralee Thungtongkam and Ekmongkolpaisarn 15-9, 6-15 and 15-2.

Singapore and Thailand won the bronze medals in the men's team event. In = the women's event, Malaysia and Vietnam shared third place.

Competition in the individual events begins tomorrow.

(yyn/ds)