Pencak silat

Athletes compete in the Pencak Silat Championship 2024. The Vietnamese pencak silat team wants to dominate at the 33rd SEA Games later this year in Thailand. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Dominating the world championship has inspired the Vietnamese pencak silat team, but it is not enough to count on for the forthcoming 33rd SEA Games, the coach has warned.

The fighters will still face a tough test and will need to work extra hard at the SEA Games to bring back gold medals.

Vietnamese fighters secured 18 golds from the World Pencak Silat Championships last December and while they will be hoping to carry forward that success, nothing is certain.

They dominated both senior and junior events in the UAE, however, coach Nguyễn Văn Hùng said world championship wins didn't mean they would have it easy in December.

"Our results at the Abu Dhabi event were remarkable, because all rivals were really strong. But now the team have to look towards other tournaments and set targets for each of them," said Hùng.

Among these tournaments, Hùng said, the 33rd SEA Games was the most important.

According to the organisers, there are only ten categories, eight for men and two for women, far fewer than at the last games in Cambodia, when there were 16.

Hùng said his Vietnamese athletes went straight into training at the start of the year and in addition to improving their technique and tactics, they were tasked with elevating their physical strength, which was an important element in combat.

The martial artists are also working on how to limit injuries and familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations so that they would not make any mistakes while fighting.

“One of key solutions to lift them up is to organise training courses and competitions to sharpen their skills and gain experience," said Hùng.

"We will organise internal matches for athletes and invite other clubs for friendly tournaments. Further, we will call social resources to send them to pencak silat powerhouses such as Indonesia and Malaysia for intensive training and take part in international championships. We will review their performance and then make up the team for the SEA Games."

According to the plan, they will compete in the national championship next month in Thanh Hóa Province. The next event will be the Asian championship in June and then the Southeast Asian championship in August.

The Head of Elite Sports Department of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam (SAV) Hoàng Quốc Vinh affirmed that the SAV would support athletes in terms of nutrition and training equipment.

Nguyễn Tấn Sang (left) earns Việt Nam a world gold medal in the men's 80kg. He is expected to defend his title in the upcoming SEA Games. -- Photo sggp.org.vn

In addition, the department would also seek additional funding to send the team to Thailand for further training, aiming for wins at the 33rd SEA Games and then later at the Asian Games in 2026 in Japan.

Talking about Việt Nam's gold medal hopes, Hùng said among his fighters, Nguyễn Tấn Sang and Nguyễn Duy Tuyến would defend their titles.

Sang just won his world title in the men's 80kg, while Tuyến is the five-time world champion in the men's 85kg category.

Meanwhile 2024 world winner Vũ Văn Kiên has pledged to compete in the men's 60kg, along with rising star Cao Văn Quý in the mens' 72kg.

"I have been working hard to prepare my best physique and tactics. I am ready for fighting and always set highest result in every competition," said Kiên, who took bronze in the last Games.

On the women's side, Lê Thị Vân Anh in the 60kg is being relied on to bring home a gold.

The world champion confessed that she was a little nervous. "My category is a light weight class so there will be many strong rivals and although I am worried about it, I will do my best for Việt Nam," she said.

Việt Nam topped the medal tally in the 31st Games on home soil, with six golds. — OVIETNAM.VN/VNS