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| Brunei's Abdul Mateen Bolkiah is sixth in line to the oil-rich sultanate's throne. |
A polo-playing prince from Brunei set off frenzied scenes when he was
mobbed by fans at the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, where a group of
athletic royals has been in the limelight.
Dozens of spectators, mainly female, screamed and clamoured for selfies
when Prince Abdul Mateen, sixth in line to the oil-rich sultanate's throne,
strode out to meet them in his jodphurs.
The 26-year-old, who has more than half-a-million followers on
Instagram, looked slightly bemused as he met his excited fans, separated from
them by a barrier and closely guarded by minders.
It was an unexpected development at the 11-nation, biennial Games in
Malaysia, where the region's pride compete in a diverse array of sports from
swimming to petanque and wushu.
Prince Mateen, a favourite of gossip websites and dubbed "hot
royal" by media, played alongside his 33-year-old sister, Princess Azemah,
as they went down 12-4 to Malaysia.
Despite the defeat, one of the most memorable moments came when Prince
Mateen unseated one of Malaysia's players the home country's sports minister,
Khairy Jamaluddin.
"We had a good battle on the field. He knocked me off my horse...
but this is part of polo," Khairy said, noting the large number of
spectators at the "celebrity match".
"It adds a bit of shine to the Games. We have never played in front
of such a big crowd for polo," he said.
Prince Mateen and Princess Azemah aren't the only Brunei royals at the
SEA Games Faiq Bolkiah, a nephew of the sultan, is representing his country in
football.
Malaysia's Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin was crowned equestrian endurance champion
after winning the 80km (50 miles) event in Terengganu, where he happens to be
the state ruler.
"A very proud moment for all Malaysians!" tweeted Prime
Minister Najib Razak.
And in dressage, Thailand's Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana placed her
team silver medal on a portrait of her late grandfather, King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, who died last year.
"I am close to tears," she said, according to the Bangkok
Post. "I was so happy when I hugged the portrait of my grandfather and put
the silver medal on it. It was like I gave the medal to him."
The 30-year-old is an accomplished athlete, winning badminton gold in
the women's team event in 2005 before switching to equestrian competition.
She has taken part in international events including the 2014 Asian Games,
together with her trusty mount who is fittingly named Prince Charming.
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