Bonar Gati

The 25th Southeast Asian Games expressing themes of generosity, amity, health and lifestyle, officially opened its 10-day competition in Vientiane on Wednesday.

Laos President Choummaly Sayasone launched the Games at the opening ceremony at the National Stadium, attended by around 25,000 people, Antara news agency reported.

Some of the 25 sports being contested had already begun competition as early as Dec. 2, including soccer in which the Laotian team stunned Indonesia 2-0 during their Group B match.

As many as 2,500 athletes from 11 nations in the Southeast Asian region are competing for a total of 379 gold medals.

The participating countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam and host nation Laos.

Thailand will be looking to defend its gold-medal tally crown with the largest contingent, comprising 550 athletes and 292 officials.

Laos deployed the second largest with 482 athletes and 261 officials, followed by Vietnam (442 athletes and 229 officials).

Indonesia, which dominated the event from 1977 to 1997, and has now been reduced to a contender status in the region, is competing with 333 athletes and 132 officials, fifth behind the 578-strong Malaysian contingent.

Indonesia will be content with improving its rank from fourth place in 2007 to third.

"Beating Thailand and Vietnam is not realistic, Thailand can claim 120 gold medals and Vietnam 66," Indonesian contingent deputy chief Djoko Pramono said.

"Indonesia is predicted to bring home between 40 and 58 gold medals," Djoko said at the squad"s headquarters in Vientiane.

He was speaking to State Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng, who was in

the city to attend the opening ceremony.

The venues are scattered around the city, including the National Sports Complex, the National University, the LAO ITECC, the Chao Anouvong Stadium and Gymnasium, the Beung Kha Ngong Sports Complex, the Donchan and Palace Hotel.

While Indonesia can only look forward to a third-place position, Thailand looks poised for another dominating run in the games.

They bagged a total of 182 gold medals, well ahead of runner-up Malaysia with 68 and Vietnam with 64 gold medals, when they hosted the event in 2007.

The opening ceremony on Wednesday began with performances of Laotian traditional dances and songs followed by a parade by the 11 participating nations.

The ceremony peaked with the lighting of the cauldron which will stay lit until Dec. 18. A 15-minute pyrotechnic display and another round of stage performances highlighted the closing part of the ceremony.

No Indonesian TV channel is broadcasting the Games because of their refusal to pay for the broadcasting rights. Media attendance was also restricted with a quota of six representatives from each country.

On Wednesday, seven gold medals were at stake, two of which were bagged by Myanmar from the women's hoop sepak takraw and the poomsae tae kwon do women's individual events.

Vietnam won another two, both from the poomsae tae kwon do: the mixed pair and the men's team events. Thailand and Laos took one each from sepak takraw's men's hoop and the women's hoop respectively.

A total of 27 gold medals will be up for grabs on Thursday, including two in table tennis, two in mountain biking, six in tae kwon do, one in billiards and snooker, four in karate, six in shooting and six in swimming.