Karate artists win first gold for Vietnam at SEA Games after 18 years

Female fighters Nguyen Thi Phuong, Luu Thi Thu Uyen, and Nguyen Ngoc Tram defeated their Indonesian rivals with 41.1 points to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, Le Hong Phuc, Pham Minh Duc, and Giang Viet Anh gained 41 points to snatch the gold in the men’s category.

On Satuday, martial artist Le Thi Hien beat Alisa Panyasily of Laos 7-0 in Vovinam (Vietnamese traditional martial arts) to bring home a gold medal in the women’s 55kg event, the first gold of Vietnam’s Vovinam team at the region’s biggest sporting event.

Earlier, chess players Pham Thanh Phuong Thao and Ton Nu Hong An won a gold medal after topping the Ouk Chaktrang women’s doubles event.

Vietnam won two more gold medals on Saturday thanks to Tran Hung Nguyen in aquatics swimming’s men’s 200m individual medley, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc in athletics’ women’s 20km walk.

SEA Games 32 officially began on May 5 and will finish on May 17 in Cambodia’s capital city and four other localities, with more than 12,400 athletes, coaches, officials, staff and volunteers set to participate.

The Vietnamese team has 1,003 members, including 702 athletes competing in 31 sports. They target to win between 90-120 gold medals for a place in the top three finish.