At Chroy Changvar competition hall in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 8 morning, Vietnamese athletes Nguyen Thi Ngoan and Truong Thi Thuong defeated their Philippine rivals in the women’s kumite (combat), clinching their final gold medal for Vietnam in Karate.

Earlier the same day the national men’s team also grabbed a gold medal in the kumite (combat) after trouncing their Malaysian rivals 3-2 in the final round.

Vietnamese Karate athletes also bagged home two golds on May 7 and another two golds on May 6.

As of 12:00 on May 8, Vietnam has won 17 gold medals, ranking third on the medal tally, after Cambodia and Indonesia. 

Martial arts, including Karate, are considered a gold mine for Vietnamese athletes. Together with Karate, other martial arts such as Pencat Silat, Taekwondo and Vovinam are expected to bring more golds for Vietnam in the coming competition days.

SEA Games 32 officially began on May 5 and is scheduled to end on May 17 in Cambodia’s capital city and four other localities, with the participation of more than 11,000 athletes, coaches, officials, staff and volunteers.

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

Source: VOV