KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — The 29th SEA Games opens tomorrow, promising a spectacular chase for gold that is boosted by the exciting presence of its biggest gathering of world champions and Olympic medallists who burst onto the big stage in the last two years to bring rare sporting glory to the region.

After a 16-year lapse, the biennial event is back on Malaysian soil making Kuala Lumpur the host city for a record six times, bringing together 4,900 athletes from 11 countries to vie for 404 gold medals in 38 sports with ice skating, ice hockey, indoor hockey and cricket held for the first time.

The fight for overall supremacy is tipped to narrow between Malaysia and Thailand which dominated four of the last five Games.

Malaysia wants 111 gold to make good of the homeground advantage and mark their reign as the host, a task that calls for the 844 home athletes to overhaul their 62 gold and fourth placing in Singapore two years ago.

The Games will also test the progress of their Podium Programme geared for next year’s Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, and ultimately to win Malaysia’s first Olympic gold in Tokyo just three years away.

Despite their prowess and new-found fame, Malaysia’s world champions trio — keirin cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, diving queen Cheong Jun Hoong and silat exponent Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari — and Pandelela Rinong, the country’s first woman Olympic medalist in 2012 London — are not giving the Games a miss. The two divers also share a Rio Olympic silver in the women’s synchronised 10m platform.

Two other big draws are Rio Olympics champions — swimmer Joseph Schooling of Singapore and sharp shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh of Vietnam. Schooling, winner of nine gold in Singapore, is entered for six events including his pet 100m butterfly, while Hoang is competing in the 10m air pistol event where he was the bronze medallist the last time before striking gold in Rio.

In setting their target, Malaysia had turned the clock back to 2001 when they hosted the Games and smashed the century mark for the first time to finish overall champions with 111 gold.

Azizulhasni, Jun Hoong and Pandelela will lead the charge with an eye on a clean sweep of diving and men’s track cycling sharing 26 gold in total. Pencak silat, wushu, karate, rhythmic gymnastics, lawn bowls sailing, squash, archery, bowling and athletics are the strong prospects to bring more glitter fo the homesters.

The emergence of young Khairul Hafiz Jantan, who has broken both national 100m and 200m records, sends hopes surging that Malaysia will finally have a real fighter back on the lanes to claim the crown as the fastest man in South-east Asia since Nazmizan Muhammad’s triumph way back in 2003 in Vietnam.

Thailand have set their sights on 100 gold medals and have proved they are up to the mark, having scored 107 gold in the 2013 Games in Myanmar.

Their greatest strengths are in athletics and shooting, the two sports alone reining in a third of their 95 gold haul in Singapore including the coveted men’s football title which they are all out to retain for a hattrick of wins. The Thais are also the team to beat in tennis, petanque and women’s badminton

Vietnam, the up coming force in the region, want a top three finish again after placing third behind Thailand and Singapore the last time with 73 gold. Besides Rio golden gun Hoang, the Vietnamese will be counting on their much-decorated woman swimmer Thi Anh Vien in 11 events after her eight gold feat in 2015.

Singapore have sent their largest ever contingent of 569 athletes to compete in 35 sports and expect their biggest victories at the National Aquatic Centre. Schooling and company stormed away with 23 of 38 swimming titles the last time leaving a trail of shattered Game records behind.

Indonesia and the Philippines are eyeing to better their performance to over 50 gold each.The other countries in the reckoning are Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei and Timor-Leste.

The Indonesians, overall champions for 10 times, are using the Games as a stepping stone for next year’s Asian Games which they host. With their respective badminton stars away for the World Championships in Scotland, Indonesia and Malaysia will tussle to produce the new champions in men’s badminton. — Bernama