Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam continued to leave a strong mark at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on December 19 afternoon as shooter Ha Minh Thanh clinched an individual gold medal and shattered the Games record, while athletes across multiple sports also added medals to the national tally.
In the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol final, Thanh dominated from the outset. After six series, he led with 23 points, establishing a safe margin over two Indonesian rivals. He extended his advantage to 26 points after the seventh series and went into the decisive round with a firm lead. Scoring a perfect four points in the final series, Thanh finished with a total of 30 points to secure the gold medal and set a new SEA Games record. Meanwhile, teammate Pham Quang Huy exited early after four series.
Chess once again proved to be a strong point, as Vietnam secured gold in the men’s rapid team event with a 1.5–0.5 victory over Mlaysia, marking Vietnam’s 78th gold medal at this SEA Games.
In boxing, Ngo Ngoc Linh Chi lost to a Thai opponent in the women’s 45–48kg final, earning a silver medal.
Fencing delivered further positive results. Vietnam’s women’s foil team finished with a bronze medal after losing to Singapore in the semifinals. In the men’s epee team event, Nguyen Tien Nhat, Hoang Nhat Nam and Nguyen Phuoc Den produced a convincing 45–29 win over Thailand to book a place in the final against Singapore.
Additionally, the men’s beach volleyball team won bronze after defeating Malaysia 2–0, while the men’s traditional boat racing team finished third in the 10-man 500m event to claim another bronze./.
VNA
