SEA Games: Vietnam enjoy productive day with 20 gold medals

The national contingent also added nine silver and four bronze medals to their tally Sunday.

Pham Thi Thu Trang won gold in the 10,000m women’s walking race with a time of 52 minutes and 59.45 seconds. The women’s 10,000m running race was also won by a Vietnamese athlete, with Pham Thi Hue finishing it in 36 minutes and 23.44 seconds. Pham Thi Hong Le won a silver in the same race.

Nguyen Thi Oanh won gold in the women’s 1,500m race, while her compatriot Khuat Phuong Anh took the bronze. Duong Van Thai won gold in the men’s 1,500m race.

Le Tu Chinh won gold in the most exciting athletic event, the men’s 100m race. 

Nguyen Thi Huyen bagged gold in the women’s 400m race, while Tran Nhat Hoang and Tran Dinh Son made it a Vietnam double winning in the men’s event with the gold and silver medals, respectively.  

Loc Thi Dao, Do Thi Anh Nguyet and Nguyen Thi Phuong beat their Myanmar opponents 6-2 in the women’s team recurve (one-string) category to clinch the first archery gold for Vietnam. Dao also won gold in the women’s individual one-string bow event.

Dao then added another archery gold, teaming up with Nguyen Hoang Phi Vu to win the mixed doubles one-string bow event.

In karate, Nguyen Thanh Duy fought his way to a gold medal in the men’s under-60kg category, while Luu Thi Thu Uyen, Le Thi Khanh Ly and Nguyen Thi Phuong took gold in the women’s team kata event.

Vietnamese cueists Ngo Dinh Nai and Pham Canh Phuc won the gold and silver medals respectively in the one-cushion carom billiards event.

In fencing, Nguyen Phuoc Den, Nguyen Tien Nhat, Truong Tran Nhat Minh and Dang Anh Tuan won gold in the men’s epee team event.

Bui Yen Ly kicked and punched her way to gold in the women’s 54kg Muay Thai event, while Nguyen Doan Long got a silver in the men’s 57kg category.

In swimming, Vietnamese mermaid’ Nguyen Thi Anh Vien got another gold, winning the women’s 400m freestyle race, her seventh medal in this year’s SEA Games. She has won six gold and one silver medal so far.

Tran Hung Nguyen broke the SEA Games record in the men’s 400m individual medley event in 4 minutes and 20.65 seconds, while compatriot Huu Kim Son bagged the bronze.

Tran Hung Nguyen holds his arms aloft after setting a new SEA Games record in the men’s 400m swimming individual medley event on December 8, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Quang Huy.

In taekwondo, Pham Thi Thu Hien and Bac Thi Khiem won gold in the women’s under-62kg and under-67kg categories, respectively.

Sunday’s haul of 20 gold medals proved to be the most successful day for Vietnam in the 30th edition of the SEA Games being held in the Philippines.

Vietnam has increased its total tally to 198 medals, including 66 golds, and current rank third on the table behind hosts Philippines (274) and Indonesia (203).

Vietnam has sent 568 athletes in 43 sports to participate in the biennial event, targeting a haul of 65-70 gold medals.

The SEA Games are being held from November 30 to December 11 with a total of 9,840 athletes from 11 countries taking part in 530 events across 56 sports.