STRONG STANCE: The Vietnamese karate team perform at the recent 'Glory of Việt Nam Sports' programme. — Photo cand.com.vn

Martial Arts

HÀ NỘI The country's martial arts teams have set ambitious targets to go for gold at the SEA Games 33 in Thailand in December.

The games will feature 50 official sports, including various martial arts disciplines such as judo, taekwondo, wrestling, boxing, muay, pencak silat, karate, jujitsu, wushu, and kickboxing.

The Việt Nam Olympic Committee on April 21 finalised the registration for sports in which Việt Nam will participate, confirming that the country will compete in all martial arts events.

Many martial arts teams started training earlier this year. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoàng Đạo Cương emphasised the importance of thorough professional training and preparation for the regional games.

Việt Nam has developed a specific programme to prepare for and participate in the 33rd SEA Games, with martial arts expected to secure many gold medals.

"This year, our team are preparing steadily. We will face many challenges; however, the team are focused on ensuring that key athletes maintain peak performance for the competition in Thailand this December," Phan Quốc Vinh, coach of the Vietnamese wushu team said.

Vũ Đức Thịnh, president of the Việt Nam Kickboxing Federation added: “The Vietnamese kickboxing team aim to perform well at the SEA Games. We are developing core athletes focused on specific events to achieve high results.”

At the last SEA Games in Cambodia, Vietnamese athletes in judo, taekwondo, wrestling, boxing, muay, pencak silat, karate, jujitsu, wushu, and kickboxing collectively won gold medals.

The Vietnamese wrestling team excelled with 13 golds, followed by the judo team with eight, and both the karate and wushu teams secured six gold medals each.

For SEA Games 33, the martial arts contingent has been assigned a target number of gold medals, although specific goals have not been disclosed for tactical reasons.

A standout athlete in martial arts is boxer Hà Thị Linh, who won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Women’s Boxing Championship in March. She is currently training intensively to ensure she is fully prepared for the 33rd SEA Games. Linh is the reigning SEA Games champion in the women's 63kg boxing category.

Meanwhile, Dương Thúy Vi, the top female athlete of the Vietnamese wushu team, has won consecutive gold medals at the 31st and 32nd SEA Games. She is expected to make a significant impact in Thailand later this year. At over 30 years old, Vi is determined to secure a final medal before transitioning to coaching in the near future.

For the Vietnamese Muay Thai team, world champion Huỳnh Hà Hữu Hiếu is training hard with the immediate goal of winning a medal at the 2025 Asian Muay Championship, which will take place in June in Việt Nam. Afterward, she will shift her focus to the 33rd Games.

At the 31st Games, Vietnamese martial arts teams won 85 gold medals, contributing to a total of 205 golds for the Vietnamese sports delegation. At the 32nd Games, martial arts accounted for 68 of the 136 gold medals won. At SEA Games 33, the prospects for Vietnamese martial arts teams look promising. VNS