Basketball

Việt Nam's Red&Gold team take the trophy of the first Asia Tour 3x3 on April 23 in the Philippines. Photo of Asia Tour

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's Red&Gold basketball team showed that it was ready for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games by winning the women's division of the Asia Tour 3x3 on April 23 at SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, Manila, the Philippines.

Prior to the last three minutes of the match, Sniper led 15-12. But it was time for Việt Nam to fight back.

Captain Huỳnh Thị Ngoan opened the great comeback with accurate shots. Then, it was Kaylynne Trương who shone brilliantly by scoring the final six points to pull her side to a 21-16 come-from-behind win.

The Red&Gold took home a US$5,000 cash prize, setting a record of five unbeaten games at the tournament.

The win was an encouragement for them ahead of their quest to improve on Việt Nam's silver medal finish in the last SEA Games.

In a men's pulsating finale, TNT survived The Performance Lab of Việt Nam by the slimmest of margins, 19-18, to bag the men’s division crown and a purse of $10,000.

After Manila, the players returned home and will move to Phnom Penh for their SEA Games campaign, where both men and women target top positions after missing their gold medals in the last seconds at the previous Games on home soil. VNS