Bangkok (VNA) – The Vietnamese sports delegation has successfully fulfilled three major objectives set ahead of the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand, head of the Vietnamese delegation Nguyen Hong Minh said at a meeting with reporters covering the SEA Games in Bangkok on December 19.
The three major goals are maintaining and enhancing Vietnam’s position among the region’s leading sporting nations; achieving breakthroughs in key sports, particularly Olympic disciplines; and projecting the image of a civilised, professional and disciplined delegation to the international community, Minh said.
Vietnam has so far secured 73 gold medals on the official medal table. Including five golds from demonstration events, the total stood at 78 gold medals. To meet its target of around 90 golds, Vietnam continues to place hopes on remaining competitions in sports such as wrestling, fencing, shooting, boxing, sepak takraw, open-water swimming and e-sports, he stated.
In football, Vietnam completed its objectives, with all three national teams advancing to the finals. The women’s futsal team and the men’s U22 team claimed gold medals. Minh said that football successfully met its targets, highlighting the U22 team’s gold medal as particularly impressive, reflecting careful and thorough preparation.
The delegation head said Vietnam has recorded significant breakthroughs in key sports, especially Olympic disciplines. Of the 78 gold medals won so far, 50 have come from Olympic sports, accounting for nearly 70% of the total, reflecting clear progress in disciplines featured at future Olympic Games and Asian Games.
The games have also seen the emergence of a new generation of promising Vietnamese athletes in Olympic sports such as athletics, swimming, shooting and martial arts. Several athletes aged just 16 or 17 have already won medals, including swimmers Nguyen Thuy Hien, Tran Van Nguyen Quoc and Duong Van Hoang Quy.
Minh affirmed that throughout competition and interactions at the SEA Games, members of the Vietnamese delegation, particularly athletes, conducted themselves in a civilised and appropriate manner, reflecting Vietnamese cultural values and promoting the image of a friendly and hospitable Vietnam.
Overall, the Vietnamese delegation has largely fulfilled its mission, with many sports delivering strong results. Football earned two gold medals and one silver; athletics claimed 12 golds; swimming secured six golds; shooting collected five golds; rowing won four golds to top the rankings; wrestling earned seven golds; karate took six golds; taekwondo won four golds; and artistic gymnastics secured three golds.
Among the standout performers was shooter Trinh Thi Thu Vinh, who claimed two individual gold medals, two team golds and one silver in the mixed pistol event, while breaking four records.
Minh also pointed out challenges facing the delegation, noting that although the SEA Games is a regional competition, many world-class athletes competed in events such as athletics, weightlifting, gymnastics, badminton, taekwondo and boxing. He also mentioned the trend of naturalising athletes from outside Southeast Asia and concerns over refereeing standards.
Looking ahead, he stressed that Vietnamese sport must continue to improve professional skills and competitive resilience, striving for more convincing victories as it targets higher goals at the Asian Games and the Olympic Games./.
