Vietnam sustained their upward momentum at the 33rd SEA Games as pencak silat and rowing once again delivered golds, pushing the nation’s total haul to 53 gold medals on December 17 morning.

Bui Thi Thu Hien, Nguyen Giang, Dinh Thi Hao, and Pham Thi Hue celebrate after winning gold in the women’s quadruple sculls final at the 33rd SEA Games.

The spotlight fell on Nguyen Tan Sang, who produced a disciplined performance to retain his SEA Games crown in the men’s 75–80kg pencak silat final. Facing a home favourite, the Vietnamese fighter controlled the contest to secure a dominant 84–53 victory, underlining his composure on the stage.

The final was hard-fought and physically demanding. Sang absorbed several heavy blows and was briefly floored, but his resilience proved decisive as he returned to dictate the tempo and close out a convincing win. The result added another crucial gold to Vietnam’s pencak silat campaign on a pivotal competition day.

Vietnam also collected silver in pencak silat, with Duong Thi Hai Quyen finishing runner-up in the women’s 50–55kg category after a 29–42 loss to Indonesia. Her effort was all the more remarkable given that she completed the final with a broken toe, continuing without medical attention.

In rowing, Vietnam maintained its status as a regional powerhouse. The women’s quadruple sculls crew of Bui Thi Thu Hien, Nguyen Giang, Dinh Thi Hao, and Pham Thi Hue delivered a composed and powerful race to take gold, edging out strong resistance from hosts Thailand.

The victory once again highlighted rowing as one of Vietnam’s most reliable medal sources at the 33rd SEA Games.

Vietnam’s archers claimed silver, struggling with consistency as too many arrows drifted into the eight-ring. Indonesia, by contrast, showed clinical accuracy, repeatedly finding the centre to seal a 5–0 win.

Two Bac Ninh athletes win two more gold medals at SEA Games 33

BAC NINH - On the afternoon of December 15, Wushu fighter Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy from Bac Ninh province competed in the women’s 60kg sanshou event at the 33rd SEA Games. 

SEA Games 33: Vietnam remain third overall, women’s football team reach final

As of 21:30 on December 14, Vietnam had won a total of 35 gold, 32 silver and 63 bronze medals. This haul, however, was not enough to move them back into second place, as Indonesia enjoyed a stronger day with seven additional golds.

 

SEA Games 33: Vietnam excels with record-breaking performances

The trio of Nguyen Thuy Trang, Trinh Thu Vinh and Trieu Thi Hoa Hong delivered an impressive performance in the women’s 10m air pistol team event on December 14. Competing with consistency and precision, the Vietnamese shooters amassed a total of 1,711 points to win the gold medal and shatter the SEA Games record.

 

Bac Ninh star runner adds one in six more golds for Vietnam on SEA Games' fourth day

After four days of competition, Thailand continued to dominate, amassing 94 gold medals. Indonesia moved into second place with 31 golds, while Vietnam held third with 30 titles.

 

Vietnam racks up martial arts golds at SEA Games 33 as karate, taekwondo athletes shine

Vietnam's martial arts teams continued their strong performance on December 13 at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, with karate and taekwondo leading the charge through multiple gold medals.

 

33rd SEA Games: Vietnam pockets golds in athletics, pétanque, swimming

Nguyen Thi Ngoc secured one more gold medal for Vietnamese athletics in the women’s 400m final, which featured Ngoc and her teammate Hoang Thi Minh Hanh competing against athletes from Thailand and the Philippines.