Vietnam pocketed five gold medals in SEA Games 31's athletics competitions on May 15 – the third official competition day of the Games, and this makes its target of 15-17 golds set for the sport of the Games achievable.

The most noteworthy achievement of the day belonged to runner Nguyen Thi Oanh who won the women’s 3,000m hurdles with 9 min 46 sec that broke her own record of 10 min 0.02 sec set at the SEA Games 30 in the Philippines.

One day earlier, Oanh also triumphed in the women’s 1,500m and 5,000m.

The other golds were won by Nguyen Van Lai in the men’s 5,000m, Nguyen Thi Huyen in the women’s 400m, Nguyen Tien Trong in the men’s long jump, and Phan Thi Diem in the women’s high jump.

After the first two competition days of the sport, the team won a total of nine gold, eight silver and two bronze medals, thus temporarily topping the tally.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam pocket five medals in gymnastics

Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien won a gold medal in the pommel horse of the men’s rhythmic gymnastics tournament at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) after his excellent performance at the Quan Ngua Sports Palace in Hanoi on May 15.

Malaysian athletes, Tan Fu Jie and Muhammad Sharul Aimy, brought home silver and bronze medals, respectively, in this category.

The same day, another Vietnamese gymnastics athletes Nguyen Van Khanh, Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu and Pham Nhu Phuong bagged silver medals for the men’s rings, the women’s break dance and the women’s asymmetric bar competitions, respectively.

Meanwhile, Le Thanh Tung and Trinh Hai Khang secured bronze medals in the men’s rings and the men’s freestyle gymnastics events.

SEA Games 31: Runner Nguyen Thi Huyen wins ninth SEA Games gold medal

Nguyen Thi Huyen, the top female runner in Vietnam, won gold in the women’s 400m race on May 15 at the ongoing SEA Games 31.

This is the ninth gold medal that Huyen has brought home in four times competing at this largest regional sporting event.

She still has a chance to add the 10th gold to her collection of gold medals at SEA Games in the final 400m hurdles race.

The 29-year-old woman from Nam Dinh, surprised Vietnamese fans at the 30th SEA Games three years ago when claiming two gold medals just three months after returning to training following giving birth.

SEA Games 31: Vietnamese fencers win gold for third consecutive day

Vietnam won another gold and bronze medal in fencing on May 15, marking the third consecutive day that fencers successfully secured gold for the country at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Bui Thi Thu Ha defeated her Singaporean rival Ong Shu Hui Jessica in the women’s sabre event to win the gold medal, while her teammate Phung Thi Khanh Linh snatched the bronze.

Coach Pham Anh Tuan said that with their current strength, the team can set a higher goal of five gold medals at this Games.

As of late May 15, Vietnam stood atop the SEA Games 31 medal tally with 68 golds, leaving second-placed Thailand far behind.

Vietnam bagged a total of 29 gold medals on the day.

SEA Games 31: Malaysian, Thai golfers win gold in singles events

Golfer Ervin Chang of Malaysia pocketed the gold medal in the men’s singles event on May 15 at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) 31.

The silver went to Amadeus Susanto Christian of Indonesia and Weerawish Narkprachar of Thailand took bronze.

In the women’s singles event, Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap came on top, while the silver went to Aloysa Mabutas Margiela Atienza of Singapore and the bronze to Jeneath Wong of Malaysia.

Golf competitions at SEA Games 31 began on May 13 at Heron Lake Golf Course & Resort in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, with the participation of 55 golfers from nine countries, and will last through May 18.

Four sets of medals are on offered in men's singles, women's singles, men's and women's teams.

Vietnam’s Jujitsu team wraps up SEA Games 31 with two gold medals

Vietnam's Jujitsu artists Phung Thi Hue and Dao Hong Son brought home two more gold medals on May 15 as the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) carried on.

Hue championed the women’s Ne-Waza NOGI 45kg after defeating her Philippine opponent Co Jollirine who was awarded a silver medal. Thailand’s Sakaew Tadaporn and Cambodia’s Mab Sokhouy both finished third.

Dao Hong Son beated Tang Yong Siang from Singapore to secure the first spot in the men’s Ne-Waza NOGI 56kg. Tang claimed the silver while Cortez Jan Vincent Cortez of the Philippines and Keadnin Komkrit of Thailand both earned bronzes.

It was the last day of competitions for the Vietnamese Jujitsu team. So far, the team won two golds, one silver and two bronzes at the games.

SEA Games 31: Vietnamese swimmer breaks Games record on May 15

Vietnamese swimmers earned one gold and three silver medals and set a new SEA Games record on May 15, the second competition day of swimming at the 31st Southeast Asian Games.

With a result of 4 minutes and 18.10 seconds, Tran Hung Nguyen not only sustained his top position in the men’s 400m medley since the last Games held in 2019 but also broke the previous Games record of 4 minutes and 20.65 seconds set by himself.

Also in this category, the 16-year-old Nguyen Quang Thuan, younger brother of famous swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, secured a silver when finishing his race in 4 minutes and 22.46 seconds, which is an encouraging result as this is the first time he has competed at the region’s biggest sporting event.

In the men’s 100m freestyle, Luong Jeremie Loic Nino of Vietnam with 49.57 seconds brought home a silver while his teammate Hoang Quy Phuoc only came fourth. The gold medallist was Zheng Wen Qah from Singapore.

Vietnam’s Huynh Thi My Tien pocketed a silver with 8 minutes and 51.73 seconds in the women’s 800m freestyle, following Gan Ching Hwee of Singapore with 8 minutes and 42.60 seconds.

On the first two competition days of swimming, the hosts won a total of four gold and six silver medals in this sport.

Indonesia win over Myanmar, getting ticket to SEA Games 31 football semi-finals

The Indonesian U-23 men’s football team defeated Myanmar rival 3-1 in a match of SEA Games 31 held Viet Tri stadium, the northern province of Phu Tho, on May 15.

With the victory, Indonesia got 9 points and secured a ticket for the semi-finals. 

Coach Shin Tae-yong of U23 Indonesia brought in quality players who have played for the Indonesian national team at the AFF Cup 2020, along with those playing abroad. Meanwhile, coach Velizar Popov of U23 Myanmar also arranged a tight defensive-attack formation with players having good technique and speed.

U23 Indonesia got the first goal in the 6th minute by Ey Maulana Vikri. Wintan Sulaeman scored the second goal in the 10th minute.

In the second minute of the injury time of the first half, with a long shot over the opponent's solid barrier, Marselino Ferdinan broke Myanmar’s net, raising the score to 3-0 for Indonesia.

U23 Myanmar shortened the score to 3-1 with a goal by Win Naing Tun in the 66th minute of the match.

SEA Games 31: Vietnamese swimmer breaks Games record on May 15

Vietnamese swimmers earned one gold and three silver medals and set a new SEA Games record on May 15, the second competition day of swimming at the 31st Southeast Asian Games.

With a result of 4 minutes and 18.10 seconds, Tran Hung Nguyen not only sustained his top position in the men’s 400m medley since the last Games held in 2019 but also broke the previous Games record of 4 minutes and 20.65 seconds set by himself.

Also in this category, the 16-year-old Nguyen Quang Thuan, younger brother of famous swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, secured a silver when finishing his race in 4 minutes and 22.46 seconds, which is an encouraging result as this is the first time he has competed at the region’s biggest sporting event.

In the men’s 100m freestyle, Luong Jeremie Loic Nino of Vietnam with 49.57 seconds brought home a silver while his teammate Hoang Quy Phuoc only came fourth. The gold medallist was Zheng Wen Qah from Singapore.

Vietnam’s Huynh Thi My Tien pocketed a silver with 8 minutes and 51.73 seconds in the women’s 800m freestyle, following Gan Ching Hwee of Singapore with 8 minutes and 42.60 seconds.

On the first two competition days of swimming, the hosts won a total of four gold and six silver medals in this sport.

Indonesia win over Myanmar, getting ticket to SEA Games 31 football semi-finals

The Indonesian U-23 men’s football team defeated Myanmar rival 3-1 in a match of SEA Games 31 held Viet Tri stadium, the northern province of Phu Tho, on May 15.

With the victory, Indonesia got 9 points and secured a ticket for the semi-finals. 

Coach Shin Tae-yong of U23 Indonesia brought in quality players who have played for the Indonesian national team at the AFF Cup 2020, along with those playing abroad. Meanwhile, coach Velizar Popov of U23 Myanmar also arranged a tight defensive-attack formation with players having good technique and speed.

U23 Indonesia got the first goal in the 6th minute by Ey Maulana Vikri. Wintan Sulaeman scored the second goal in the 10th minute.

In the second minute of the injury time of the first half, with a long shot over the opponent's solid barrier, Marselino Ferdinan broke Myanmar’s net, raising the score to 3-0 for Indonesia.

U23 Myanmar shortened the score to 3-1 with a goal by Win Naing Tun in the 66th minute of the match.

SEA Games 31: Thailand defeat Laos 5-0, advancing to semi-finals of women’s football

Thailand thrashed Laos 5-0 in the last match of Group B in women's football at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) on May 15 at Cam Pha stadium in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Thailand’s Rodthong opened the score in the 17th minute. The net of the Lao side was also rocked in the 43rd, 57th, 60th and 85th minutes.

After three matches, Thailand fetched 7 points to top Group B while Laos was still empty-handed.

With this win, Thailand advanced to the semi-finals and will face the Philippines who come second in Group A.

The remaining match of the semi-finals will see the competition of Vietnam that tops Group A and Myanmar.

Both matches will take place at Cam Pha stadium on May 18.

SEA Games 31: Thailand win table tennis, tennis golds

The Thai team beat Malaysia to bag the gold medal in the men’s table tennis event at SEA Games 31 on May 15 night.

In the first match, Phakpoom Sanguansin of Thailand lost 0-1 to Leong Chee Feng of Malaysia. However, his teammate Padasak Tanviriyavechakul held Wong Qi Shen of Malaysia to a 1-1 draw in the second match.  

Thai players continued to take the lead in the third and fourth matches to level the overall score with a 3-1 victory over their Malaysian rivals.

In the category, host Vietnam and Singapore shared the bronze medal.

The gold medal in the women’s table tennis team event also came to girls from Thailand. Singapore secured the silver and both Vietnam and Malaysia got the bronze.

Thailand extended their golden streak at SEA Games 31 on May 15 when their tennis players won golds in the finals of both men’s and women’s events, which took place in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

In the women’s category, Vietnam claimed the silver medal after losing 0-2 to Thailand. The bronze medal was shared by the Philippines and Indonesia.

In the men’s category, Thailand defeated Indonesia to bring home the crown, while Malaysia and the Philippines earned the bronze medal.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam advances to semifinals after victory over Timor Leste

Vietnam’s U23 football team secured a berth in the semifinals of SEA Games 31 after winning 2-0 against Timor Leste in its final Group A match at Phu Tho’s Viet Tri Stadium on May 15.

In this game, coach Park Hang-seo gave the chance for many young players, such as centre defender Duy Cuong, midfielders Trong Long and Cong Den, and strickers Thanh Minh and Van Tung while most of the key players were put on the bench.

Despite dominating the game, Vietnam struggled to score in the first half, which saw them draw 0-0 with Timo Leste.

In the second half, Le Van Xuan crossed a ball to Van Tung, who opened a goal for Vietnam in the 52th minute. Eleven minutes later, Xuan once again created the opportunity for Ho Thanh Minh to score a header goal, securing a 2-0 win for Vietnam.

Vietnam led Group A thanks to the victory, followed by Indonesia after defeating Myanmar 3-1.

SEA Games 31: Vietnamese runner makes gold hat-trick

Vietnamese runner Nguyen Thi Oanh has named herself as one of the stars of SEA Games 31 by making a gold hat-trick after two days of competition.

Oanh triumphed in the women’s 1,500m and 5,000m on May 14. She is also the winner of the women’s 3,000m hurdles the following day, clocking 9 min 46 sec to break her own record of 10 min and 0.02 sec set at SEA Games 30 in the Philippines.

She was awarded the gold medals by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam. 

The 27-year-old athlete, who was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis, has dominated the women’s 1,500m, 5,000m and 3,000m hurdles at the region’s biggest sports event since 2017.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam win a silver and bronze in Sepak Takraw

The Vietnamese Sepak Takraw players were awarded a silver and a bronze at the ongoing SEA Games 31 during a ceremony held in Hanoi on May 15.

The ceremony saw the presence of Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and President of the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation Abdul Halim Abdul Kader.

After three days of competition, Vietnam earned a bronze in the men’s team regu, following Thailand in the first place and Malaysia in the second. 

In the women’s event, the Vietnamese players won against Malaysia and Laos but suffered a loss to Thailand, finishing the tournament in second place.  

These are the first medals of the team at SEA Games 31.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam’s bodybuilders pocket two more gold medals

Two more golds were added to the medal tally of Vietnam’s bodybuilders on May 15, the last competition day of this sport at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

In the women’s singles, Dinh Kim Loan obtained a gold while her teammate Bui Thi Thoa a bronze medal. Both showed excellent performance against strong rivals from Malaysia and Thailand.

In the mixed doubles, Tran Hoang Duy Thuan and Bui Thi Thoa also gained the top place. Thuan was the one who earned a gold medal in the men’s 70kg category on May 14.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Tien ranked second to bring home a silver in the men’s classic singles, following Mohd Mahen of Malaysia.

With these medals, Vietnamese athletes got a total of five golds in bodybuilding after three competition days.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam bag first gold in pétanque

Vietnam’s pétanque players bagged the first gold medal at the ongoing SEA Games 31 after beating Malaysia in the finals of the women’s doubles event held in Hanoi on May 15.

Winning 13-5 against their Cambodian rivals in the semifinals, Thai Thi Hong Thoa and Tran Le Lan Anh claimed an emphatic 13-2 victory over Malaysia’s Nurashimah Senin and Sharifah Aqilah Farhana Syed Ali to top the event.

“I’m very happy to earn my team the first precious gold medal,” Thoa told reporters after the match. “I’d like to thank my coaches and family for this victory.”

Head coach Dang Xuan Vui said he hopes the gold medal will be a source of motivation for the team to achieve good results in the coming games.

It is the first time Thoa and Anh have played for the national team in the region’s biggest sports event.

Vietnam also secured one bronze in pétanque on the day. So far, the Vietnamese team has earned one gold, one silver and two bronzes in the sport.

SEA Games 31: Emphatic win for Vietnam at first match in women’s futsal

Vietnam obtained an emphatic 6 - 0 victory over Myanmar in their opener in the women’s futsal of the ongoing SEA Games 31 on May 15.

Determined to win, Vietnamese players launched continuous attacks as soon as the match, held at the gymnasium of Ha Nam province, started.

Bien Thi Hang scored the first goal for Vietnam in the 5th minute, followed by successful attempts by Nguyen Thi Chau, Le Thi Thanh Ngan, and Nguyen Thi Van Anh. The first half ended with a 4 - 0 score for the hosts.

The next goal, by Le Thu Thanh Huong, came right in the first minute of the second half.

The 6 - 0 result was settled when Ya Min Lwin of Myanmar scored an own goal in the final minute.

At the previous match, Thailand’s female futsal players defeated Malaysia 4 - 0.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam secure six more golds in wushu

Vietnam’s wushu team had a successful day on May 15 after six out of seven athletes secured gold medal in the SEA Games 31’s wushu sanda events held at Hanoi’s Cau Giay Gymnasium.

Ngo Thi Phuong Nga defeated Rosalina Simanjuntak from Indonesia 2-0 in the finals of the women’s 52kg. 

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy outlasted Indonesia’s Melisa Try Andani with a similar score to champion the women’s 56kg.

Nguyen Thi Trang bagged another gold after winning 2-1 against a Myanmar opponent in the women’s 60kg.

In the men’s events, Bui Truong Giang, Truong Van Chuong and Nguyen Van Tai all claimed an absolute victory in the 60kg, 65kg and 70kg events, respectively.

Nguyen Thi Chinh of Vietnam also brought home a silver in the women’s 48kg. 

SEA Games 31’s wushu competitions have come to an end, with Vietnam earning a total of 20 medals, including 10 golds, three silvers and seven bronzes. It has the highest number of golds among participating teams, ten out of 21.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam bag silver in women's team tennis

Vietnam on May 15 claimed a silver medal in tennis after losing to Thailand in the finals of the women’s team event at the ongoing SEA Games 31.

The Vietnamese women’s team suffered a 0-2 loss at the Hanaka Paris Ocean Park tennis court complex in Tu Son city, the northern province of Bac Ninh to finish second. They were followed by the Philippines and Indonesia in third place.

In the first match, Savanna Ly Nguyen, a silver medalist at SEA Games 30 in the Philippines, was defeated 0-2 by Chanta Anchisa from Thailand, who possessed strength and good techniques.

The second match saw Chanelle Van Nguyen, Vietnam’s highest world-ranked tennis player, facing Thailand’s Kumkhum Luksika. After losing 1-6 to the Thai rival in the opening round, the Vietnamese player recovered to win 6-0 in the second set. However, she was again outlasted 1-6 by Luksika in the third set, failing to make a comeback for the Vietnamese team overall.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam defeat Cambodia in opener of men’s beach volleyball

Vietnam won 2 - 1 over Cambodia in the opener of the men’s beach volleyball at the ongoing SEA Games 31 on May 15.

In the first two matches, Team Vietnam 2 beat Cambodia 2 - 0 but Team Vietnam 1 lost 0 - 2 to their Cambodian opponents, leading to a golden set where the hosts earned a 2 - 1 win.

Australian expert Adam Maskell of Vietnam held that the players’ performance was not bad, but they still lack experience and need more learning.

The same day, both the Philippines and Thailand secured 2 - 1 victories over Singapore and Malaysia, respectively.

The women’s beach volleyball games also kicked off at the Tuan Chau international tourism complex in Quang Ninh province later on May 15.

At SEA Games 31, the men’s events attract the participation of eight countries with 16 teams while the women’s six countries with 12 teams.

Vietnam targets bronze and silver medals for its male and female players at the region’s biggest sporting event.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam claim third gold medal in fencing

Vietnamese fencer Bui Thi Thu Ha defeated her opponent from Singapore Ong Shu Hui Jessica in the women’s sabre individual event in Hanoi on May 15, earning the country the third gold medal in fencing at the ongoing SEA Games 31.

Ha repeatedly went behind the Singaporean rival but managed to bounce back to claim a 15-11 win at the end. It is the first time she has topped an individual event at SEA Games.

She said she was very happy and wanted to dedicate the gold medal to her coaches and teammates as well as the Vietnamese fans.

She has just been back for training after a eight-month maternity leave.

Head coach Pham Anh Tuan said he is confident that Vietnam’s fencing team will be able to earn five golds at this year’s SEA Games.

SEA Games 31: GM Son grabs gold in standard chess

Grandmaster (GM) Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son earned the first gold medal for Vietnamese chess on May 15 in the framework of the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31). 

He beat 11 rivals to triumph in the men’s standard chess category with seven points after nine matches.

In the last game, Son defeated Lye Lik Zang of Malaysia after 39 moves.

The victory helped the Vietnamese player retain the No 1 position in the men's group, contributing to fulfilling the Vietnamese chess team's goal of achieving five golds in 10 events at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

The silver and bronze medals in this category went to Ervan Mohamad of Indonesia and Tin Jingyao of Singapore, respectively.

On the women’s group, Citra Dewi Ardhiani Anastasia and Sukandar Irine Kharisma of Indonesia took gold and silver medals. The bronze medal went to Vietnamese Hoang Thi Bao Tram.

Chess players will continue with individual men’s and women’s fast chess events on May 16 and 17. GM Son will take part in rapid chess competitions for men together with Le Quang Liem while his wife Pham Le Thao Nguyen and Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong will play rapid chess matches for women. Great expectation has been placed on GM Le Quang Liem - the No. 1 "seed" in the men's group at the Games, who just had a historic victory over the world "chess king" Magnus Carlsen at the Oslo Esports Cup 2022 held at the end of April in Norway.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam grabs gold medal in blitz chess

Vietnam's Chinese chess team on May 15 secured an absolute victory in the team's blitz chess event, bringing home another gold medal at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Four teams, namely Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and hosts Vietnam, competed in the blitz chess event with two players from each squad joining.

The Vietnamese team won the gold medal with 12 points after winning all six rounds. The Singaporean team won the silver and the Malaysian squad bagged the bronze with seven and three points, respectively.

On May 14, the Vietnamese squad won a gold medal in the team's fast chess event.

Pham Hong Khanh, General Secretary of the Vietnam Chinese Chess Federation, said Vietnam's Chinese chess team has fulfilled the target set for the Games but witnessing what is happening the squad can dream of higher achievements.

Kin Wai Seck, head coach of the Philippine team, said Vietnam is the strongest team in Southeast Asia. In Asia, Vietnam ranks second just after China so this result is understandable.

The players will continue to take part in the men’s and women’s standard chess categories at SEA Games 31 from May 16 to 20.

SEA Games 31: Vietnam’s wushu athlete claims another gold

Vietnamese wushu athlete Hoang Thi Phuong Giang won a gold medal on May 15, the last competition day of the sport at SEA Games 31.

With 9.71 points, Giang brought home the gold medal in the women’s Changquan category. Her teammate, Duong Thuy Vi also bagged a bronze medal in the event.

In the women's taijijian event, Tran Thi Minh Huyen secured a silver and Tran Thi Kieu Trang pocketed a bronze for Vietnam. The gold medal came to Wong Agatha Chrystenz of the Philippines.

The same day, Pham Quoc Khanh also won a silver for Vietnam in the men’s category, apart from a gold he earned earlier.

On May 13 and 14, Vietnamese wushu athletes bagged three gold and five bronze medals after two days of wushu taolu competitions.

Duong Thuy Vi secured two gold medals in the women’s jianshu and qiangshu.

The bronze medalists are Ngong Van Huu (two medals), Dang Tieu Binh (two medals) and Hoang Thi Phuong Giang (one medal).

As of May 15, Vietnamese wushu athletes had secured four golds, two silvers and seven bronzes.

Long jumper Thao ready to leap back into competition

The SEA Games 31 marks the return of Bùi Thị Thu Thảo in the long jump category which will start today in Hà Nội.

“I am ready for the event and to devote myself to the Games to bring home a gold medal,” Thảo said.

At the region's biggest sports event in the Philippines in 2019, Thảo couldn’t participate because of injury. After that, she started a family and also did not set a date to return to competitions, partly because of her small child and partly because of the influence of the COVID–19 pandemic.

After two years away from events, late last year, Thảo returned to compete at the National Athletics Championship, where she reminded everyone of her prowess to take gold with 6.27m. This achievement was still far from what she had done at the Asian Games in 2018 (6.55m) and SEA Games 29 (6.68m), but it was her great return nonetheless.

In 2017, Thảo won a gold medal at the Asian championship, and two more at the Asian Grand Prix. At the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Turkmenistan, Thảo claimed a silver medal, with a long jump of 6.36m. While at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship in Tehran, Iran in 2018, she also brought home gold.

“After giving birth, my physical strength dropped a lot, my endurance and strength were not as good as before. However, I am still young and have many ambitions to fulfil, so I decided to give it a try,” former SEA Games champion Thảo said.

“After my injury in 2019, I took a break to have a baby. A year later, I returned to training. Over the past year, I've been trying to regain my top form. I feel that my health is still good so I decide to return to the competition so that I can contribute and bring medals for Vietnamese sports, my family and myself,” Thảo said.

Sometimes, Thảo wanted to give up, but she drew motivation from her newborn.

“I want my baby to know how strong her mother is,” Thảo said.

To prepare for the Games, Thảo asked her mother-in-law to take care of her child.

“Being away from my child is very sad. I feel that my child is very disadvantaged because she doesn't have her mother by her side. Therefore, I have to try harder in the Games to achieve good results so that later my child can be proud of me," Thảo said.

Thảo experienced an irreparable sadness when her father passed away after a long, serious illness. But for Thảo, sadness is also a way for her to strengthen and motivate herself.

“The biggest motivation for me to continue to practise, compete and dedicate is for my father. He was the one who guided me towards professional sport,” Thảo said.

Thảo was born into a farming family in the mountainous district of Ba Vì. She said that she had never intended to follow a sports career before, because no one in her family followed this career.

Thảo said her father always encouraged her to pursue professional sports. He was a great strength for her to overcome all challenges. In response, she always tried to make her dad proud of her.

“This time, I told myself to do my best so that my father in heaven can be assured. Although my father is no longer in this world, I believe he will smile when he sees his daughter's success," Thảo said.

If the father is the past, the daughter is the present of Thảo. Since she had her child, her life has become busy but also full of laughter. She also understands more about the merits of her parents.

"I see my child is my second life, what I do for her is what I have received from my parents," the former SEA Games champion shared.

After much sweat, tears and youth for her career, Thảo is given a small happy family. Her husband had learned to cook every dish his wife likes and is always proud of each medal won by his wife.

Behind the dedication, effort and sparkle of the medals, Thảo dreams of building a more complete home with her winnings.

The SEA Games 31 was again a test of Thảo’s will. The only difference is that this is a competition right at home. She will compete with the presence of Vietnamese fans, her small family and her father who still accompanies her for every jump. 

SEA Games 31: Vietnamese fencers win gold for third consecutive day

Vietnam won another gold and bronze medal in fencing on May 15, marking the third consecutive day that fencers successfully secured gold for the country at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Bui Thi Thu Ha defeated her Singaporean rival Ong Shu Hui Jessica in the women’s sabre event to win the gold medal, while her teammate Phung Thi Khanh Linh snatched the bronze.

Coach Pham Anh Tuan said that with their current strength, the team can set a higher goal of five gold medals at this Games.

As of late May 15, Vietnam stood atop the SEA Games 31 medal tally with 68 golds, leaving second-placed Thailand far behind.

Vietnam bagged a total of 29 gold medals on the day.

SEA Games 31: tickets sold out for men’s football finals

All the 20,000 tickets have been sold for the final of the men’s football at the ongoing SEA Games 31 after being put up for sale online on March 15 morning.

Each account created on the website digiticket.vn, authorised by the Games’ Organising Committee, is permitted to purchase no more than two tickets whose prices range from 300,000 VND (13 USD) to 500,000 VND.

The match is to take place at the 40,000-seat National My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on May 22. Apart from the 20,000 tickets, the Organising Board has also issued 20,000 invitation cards.

Vietnam and Indonesia of Group A, which also includes Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste, have earned a berth at the semifinals after scoring 10 and nine points, respectively.

Malaysia and Thailand of Group B are likely to enter the semifinals. However, the official result will come after matches between Malaysia and Laos, and Thailand and Cambodia on May 16 night.

SEA Games 31: Philippines-Thailand women’s football semifinal advanced

The women’s football semifinal between the Philippines and Thailand on May 18 will take place at 3:30pm instead of 4pm as initially scheduled, the SEA Games 31 organising committee has announced.

It said as semifinals will go into extra time if the score is equal after the two official halves, this first semifinal may last longer and affect the time of the second one.

To ensure the interval between the two games is appropriate to the Games’ regulations, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) proposed advancing the match between the Philippines and Thailand to 3:30pm.

Meanwhile, the semifinal between Vietnam and Myanmar will still take place at 7pm the same day as scheduled.

At SEA Games 31, the women’s football attracts the participation of seven teams divided into Group A (Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia) and Group B (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Singapore).

Both semifinals will be held at Cam Pha Stadium in Cam Pha city of Quang Ninh province.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VNN