Kickboxing

Hoàng Thị Thùy Giang of Việt Nam on top of the women's 50kg light contact event of the Kickboxing World Cup in Thailand. VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese martial artists win five gold medals from the first Kickboxing World Cup which closes on April 12 in Thailand.

Hoàng Thị Thùy Giang is the most successful one as she triumphs twice in the women's 50kg light contact and light kick categories.

Other champions are Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Ngân in the women's 56kg full contact; Phùng Thị Hồng Thắm in the women's 65kg light contact; and Hoàng Trọng Vỹ in the men's 45kg low kick.

Vietnamese fighters also bagged eight silvers and six bronzes.

"All Vietnamese competitors in this tournament achieve good results which show their remarkable progress after careful preparation," says President of the Việt Nam Kickboxing Federation Vũ Đức Thịnh.

He adds that the World Cup is to review athletes' performance and check their rivals' ability as Việt Nam will compete in the 33rd SEA Games later this year.

"This World Cup is a great test for fighters to research their regional rivals such as Thailand and the Philippines while learn from world-class kickboxers to make plan for the most important sport tournament of the year," he says.

Việt Nam places seventh in the medal tally.

Vietnamese athletes and coaches at the tournament.

Thailand takes the top podium with 36 golds. They are followed by Uzbekistan with 32 golds and Bulgaria with 15 golds.

Also in this occasion, Asian Kickboxing Confederation President Nasser Nassiri presented Vietnamese Lương Văn Đến a gold of the continental championships which held in Cambodia last year.

Đến took a silver after losing to Abbos Bozorboyev of Uzbekistan in the men's U75kg category. Bozorboyev was then tested positive for a prohibited substance so his title was stripped and given to Đến. VNS