The Vietnamese athletics team have won 12 gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese athletics team finished the 33rd SEA Games with an impressive performance, securing 12 gold medals, 12 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. 

This achievement placed them second in the medal tally, just one gold medal shy of host nation Thailand.

In recognition of this outstanding accomplishment, the Việt Nam Athletics Federation has decided to award the entire team VNĐ1 billion (US$37,900) to motivate both coaches and athletes.

Individual bonuses were also awarded to standout athletes. Each gold medallist at the 33rd SEA Games received VNĐ10 million immediately at the competition venue, to acknowledge their hard work and encourage their competitive spirit.

The success of Vietnamese athletics at the 33rd SEA Games underscores the stability and depth of its talent pool, as well as the effectiveness of its youth training programmes. It also lays a strong foundation for future endeavours at the continental and global level.

Nguyễn Đức Nguyên, head of the Vietnamese athletics department under the Sports Authority of Việt Nam, said: “It is very encouraging that Vietnamese athletics is rejuvenating its team. More than half of the 12 gold medals won were secured by young athletes.”

This year, the athletics events were highly competitive. Alongside a strong host team, Thailand, other nations also showed significant progress and ability. 

Although the Thai team aimed for 17 or 18 gold medals, they only managed to secure 13. The close races showed that Vietnamese athletes face considerable challenges.

The impressive performances of young athletes at the 33rd SEA Games suggest that the rejuvenation of Việt Nam's athletics is on the right track. However, winning gold medals at regional sports events is just the beginning for Vietnamese athletics, as the team prepare for long-term goals, including the ASIAD and the Olympics.

"We aim to secure one gold medal at the 2026 ASIAD and achieve an Olympic qualifying standard by 2028. We are pleased that some of our young athletes are getting close to these goals, including Trần Thị Loan in the long jump, Bùi Kim Anh in the high jump and Tạ Ngọc Tưởng in the men's 400m event," Nguyên said. VNS