At SEA Games 33 held in Thailand, Vietnam Karate continued to affirm its leading position in the region by finishing first overall for the third consecutive time.
Photo 1: Hoang Thi My Tam winning the women’s under-61kg kumite Gold medal. Photo: Quan Doi Nhan Dan Newspaper
At SEA Games 33, Vietnam Karate won a total of 6 Gold medals, 3 Silver medals, and 2 Bronze medals. Host nation Thailand ranked second with 4 Gold medals, 5 Silver medals, and 2 Bronze medals. Although the two teams had the same total number of medals, Vietnam defeated Thailand in all four finals contested between the two sides.
The six events that brought Gold medals to Vietnam Karate were: women’s kumite under 61kg (Hoang Thi My Tam), women’s kumite under 68kg (Dinh Thi Huong), men’s kumite under 67kg (Khuat Hai Nam), men’s kumite under 84kg (Nguyen Thanh Truong), women’s team kumite (Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly, Hoang Thi My Tam, Nguyen Thi Thu, Dinh Thi Huong), and women’s team kata (Hoang Thi Thu Uyen, Bui Ngoc Nhi, Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Nguyen Thi Phuong).
Among them, Hoang Thi My Tam and Dinh Thi Huong each secured two Gold medals. Both team Gold medals came from victories over Thailand in the finals, on December 11 (the opening day of Karate competition) and December 14 (the final day). In individual events, My Tam and Khuat Hai Nam also defeated Thai opponents to claim Gold medals.
Photo 2: Khuat Hai Nam – one of Vietnam Karate’s standout athletes at this year’s SEA Games. Photo: FBNV
Although Karate is not a regular Olympic sport, it is a core discipline at the SEA Games and ASIAD. It is also the martial art that has brought Vietnam the highest number of Gold medals in ASIAD history, with a total of five Golds.
The continued success at SEA Games 33 is considered an important foundation for Vietnam Karate as it sets its sights on the 20th ASIAD, scheduled to take place in Japan in 2026, where Karate will feature the largest number of competition events among martial ts disciplines.
Van Khanh