SEA Games

Golfers win one gold and one silver at the 32nd SEA Games, achieving their best SEA Games in history. VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — The 32nd SEA Games was considered the most successful event for Việt Nam as the delegation topped the medal tally in an away tournament.

Despite many challenges and difficulties, Vietnamese athletes pocketed 136 golds, 105 silvers and 114 bronzes and set 14 Games records.

It was the first time Việt Nam led the medal tally of the Games in two editions in a row.

"This was our best SEA Games result when competing away from home. Việt Nam stayed strong in the top position with 136 golds, which is much higher than our target," said Hoàng Quốc Vinh, head of the Elite Sports 1 Department of the Việt Nam Sports Administration.

Nguyễn Quốc Toàn was the best weightlifter of Việt Nam at the SEA Games with one gold and three records.

"It is thanks to the great effort of all the athletes, coaches, officials foreign trainers and staff," Vinh said.

Among the achievements, athletes earned high results in the Olympic sports.

The women's team won the 3x3 basketball title for the first time.

Teenager Lê Khánh Hưng took Việt Nam's first title in the men's individual golf. The 15-year-old and his young teammates also secured a silver in the men's team event. It was the highest result of the team in eight SEA Games.

Nguyễn Anh Hoàng and Trần Mai Ngọc (left) seal one gold for Việt Nam in table tennis.

Duo Đinh Anh Hoàng and Trần Mai Ngọc brought home a title in the mixed pair table tennis event after 26 years of coming up short.

Weightlifters scored four golds and four records. Wrestlers dominated in both men's and women's categories with 13 golds.

Judo martial artists impressed with eight golds in both performance and combat events.

Nguyễn Thị Oanh is the only ASEAN athlete to compete and win all four competitions.

Athletics and swimming did not complete their missions. They could not repeat last year's outstanding performance.

According to Ngô Ích Quân, head of Elite Sports 2 Department, there were several reasons leading to the results, including the disappearance of strong competitors due to doping problems and injuries that prevented athletes from competing and competing at their best.

However, there were athletes who shone brilliantly. Nguyễn Thị Oanh won four golds in running in five days. Nguyễn Thị Huyền pocketed three golds and one silver, becoming the most successful runner of SEA Games of all time.

Phạm Thanh Bảo swims to win two golds and two records in Phnom Penh.

Swimmer Phạm Thanh Bảo won two golds and set two records. Teammate Trần Hưng Nguyên secured three golds, one silver and one bronze.

Vietnamese athletes also showed impressive performances in other sports.

The women's football team won the SEA Games trophy for the eighth time. They made history as the first team to win the title four times in a row.

Players also did a good job in unusual sports such as ouk chaktrang, kun bokator, arnis and kun Khmer.

"The achievements of Vietnamese sports at this SEA Games came from thorough, long-term and methodical preparation," said Quân.

The women's football team was welcomed home like heroes after their SEA Games victory.

"Athletes gathered for training camps after the 31st Games. Many of them were sent to practise locally and internationally for the best results" Quan said.

2025 SEA Games

Thailand will be the hosts of the next Games in late 2025.

The Sports Association of Thailand held a press conference on May 16 in Phnom Penh to announce basic information of the 33rd SEA Games.

The sports meet will be organised on December 9-20, 2025 in three main localities of Bangkok, Chonburi, 100km from the capital, and Songkhla, 1,000km from Bangkok.

Currently, the facilities for the competitions have been prepared, while further completion of transport infrastructure, hotels, means of transport, as well as other services at all locations will be completed before the Games.

In the last 30 years, Thailand has hosted three big events - the 18th SEA Games in 1995, the eighth Asian Games in 1998 and the 24th SEA Games in 2007.

Vice Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand Dato Seri Chaiyapak Siriwak said that the 33rd Games will be held under international standards.

Most of the competition programme would be Olympic and Asian Games sports. The organisers would minimize the unpopular and local sports. It will help to reflect the development of regional sports and push it to closer to Asian and world levels.

The number of sports and organising activities of the 33rd Games would be discussed between Thailand and the SEA Games Sports Federation in consultation with the 10 National Olympic Committees before the official announcement. VNS