Vietnamese judo martial artists top the medal tally of the Southeast Asian championships 2026. — Photo baobacninh.vn

BẮC NINH — Việt Nam proved to be the toughest force in the region after dominating the Southeast Asian Judo Championships 2026 which came to an end on May 24 in Bắc Ninh Province.

The host fighters won 33 gold medals to top the podium, followed by Indonesia with four and Thailand with two.

At the national team level, fighters had almost no real rivals in both male and female categories.

Among the winners were Thủy Thị Phương Ngân (44kg), Tô Thị Trang (48kg), Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Hân (52kg) and Nguyễn Thị Hương (57kg) for the women and Chu Đức Đạt (66kg) and Lê Hải Bá (63kg) in the men's events.

Junior martial artists also shone at the Bắc Ninh Gymnasiumdals winning 12 gold . Young talented athletes incluđe Nguyễn Thị Tú Trinh, Tạ Yến Như, Trần Phạm Thanh Phát and Nguyễn Ngọc Phi Long.

The hosts also secured 35 silver and 51 bronze medals.

Việt Nam Judo Federation President Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng said: "This is a milestone affirming Việt Nam's leading position in judo in Southeast Asia.

"Through matches, we also found great potential of the young athletes, a big resource for the national team. They are expected to be Việt Nam's core in the future continental and world competitions."

The annual tournament featured nearly 370 competitors from seven regional countries competing from May 17-24. — VNS