The Vietnamese wrestling team train for the 33rd SEA Games. — Photo danviet.vn

SEA Games

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's wrestlers are grappling with more than just their rivals as they prepare for the 33rd SEA Games, with host nation Thailand limiting their chances to strike gold.

This year’s classical wrestling competition presents major challenges, as many of the strong weight classes have been removed from the programme by Thailand. The change has forced Việt Nam's coaching staff to revise medal targets, reallocate resources and shift focus to the remaining weight classes where the team have less of an advantage. Still, the shake-up offers a chance for the wrestlers to prove their adaptability and resilience — qualities they have relied on in the past.

At the previous SEA Games two years ago in Cambodia, Vietnamese wrestling dominated with 13 gold medals across 30 categories, giving the team a confidence boost. In contrast, Thailand has cut this year’s events to just 12 categories: four each for men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and men’s classical wrestling and introduced a rule allowing each country only one athlete per category.

As a result, Việt Nam's target has been scaled back to five or six gold medals, down sharply from the more than 10 they competed for in the previous two Games.

Tạ Đình Đức, who oversees the wrestling department of the Sports Authority of Vietnam and serves as General Secretary of the Việt Nam Wrestling Federation, said: “After re-evaluating our goals in light of the realities of the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnamese wrestling team are encouraging one another to prepare diligently, both in terms of training and strategy.”

To get ready for the SEA Games, key team members have competed in several international events, including the 2025 Asian Championship and regional championship, achieving encouraging results. The coaching staff are using lessons from these competitions to refine their strategy for both the 33rd SEA Games and the 20th Asian Games in 2026.

At the recent 2025 Southeast Asian tournament in Singapore, Vietnamese wrestlers claimed 24 gold medals across various events.

“This demonstrates that countries are ramping up their preparations for the 33rd Games. For Việt Nam, each athlete is focused on refining their skills ahead of the competition in December this year,” Đức said.

Vietnamese wrestlers also honed their performance at the 2025 National Championship, a key rehearsal to assess their strength, technique, mentality, fighting spirit and tactical coordination.

“The key players have maintained their form at the national tournament,” Đức noted.

In addition, the Sports Authority of Vietnam has invited US experts to train the team and provided funding for overseas practice, aiming to secure international golds.

For the classical wrestling squad, coach Nguyễn Văn Chúc said: “Thailand has organised only four weight classes, mainly aligned with the Olympic programme. This reduction limits our chances of winning medals. However, it also motivates our athletes to push harder, showcasing their resilience and adaptability.”

National classical wrestler Bùi Mạnh Hùng added: “We have prepared thoroughly for the upcoming SEA Games. Our regional opponents are strong, so the entire team must stay focused, avoid complacency and strengthen our physical training and technical skills.” VNS