Chin Athletes at 26th SEA Games in Indonesia

12 November 2011: At least three Chin females and one male are among members of sports teams representing Burma at the 26th Southeast Asian Games, which kicked off yesterday in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Chin athletes Mai Nilar Htwe as a striker for the Burma women’s football team, Mai Nelly Bawi Nei Sin as a boxer (54kg), Salai Kyaw Min as a bodybuilder, and Mai Yinhwa Thawng Luai as a karate coach arrived in Indonesia on Thursday, according to the Chin World Media.

Chin female boxer Mai Nelly Bawi Nei Sin was quoted as saying that they worked hard during the training and hoped to get more medals this time as she requested a prayer for their success.

Indonesia is hosting the 26th SEA Games in its capital and largest city, Jakarta and Palembang, the capital city of South Sumatra Province, from 11 to 25 this month.

The official website of the SEA Games says each city will host a total of 22 sports, with men’s football matches to be split between both cities.

At the 25th SEA Games in Laos in 2009, three Chin athletes Aung Ngeain from Mindat Township, Kap Cin Pau from Tedim and Mai Nilar Htwe from Kalewa won medals in archery, judo and football.

Reporting by Thawng Zel Thang