Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games campaign gathered further momentum on December 16 afternoon, with major successes in esports and athletics boosting the delegation’s position on the medal table.
In esports, the women’s Arena of Valor team of Vietnam delivered a commanding performance in the final, sweeping aside Laos 4-0.
The emphatic victory secured Vietnam’s 44th gold medal and underlined the country’s regional dominance in a discipline that continues to grow in prominence at the SEA Games.
Moments earlier, the athletics track witnessed another landmark achievement from Nguyen Thi Oanh. Competing in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Vietnam’s leading distance runner surged to the front immediately after the start, controlled the race throughout, and crossed the line first in 10 minutes 13.75 seconds.
The event has long been one of Oanh’s strongest disciplines. She previously claimed golds at the last three SEA Games editions, with winning times of 10:00.02 in 2019, 9:52.44 in 2022, and 10:34.37 in 2023.
The latest triumph not only earned her another gold medal but also marked the 15th SEA Games gold of her career, a significant milestone in the history of Vietnamese athletics.
The joy was doubled as Doan Thu Hang finished second to claim the silver medal. This was the third occasion at the 33rd SEA Games in which Vietnamese athletes occupied the top two places on the podium. Earlier, in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events, Nguyen Thi Oanh won gold while Le Thi Tuyet secured silver./.
