Nine golds highlight Vietnam’s performance on December 18:

Nguyen Le Hoang Vu, Nguyen Anh Tri, and Pham Tien San triumphed in the men's triathlon (duathlon team relay).

In freestyle wrestling, four gold medals were secured:

Nguyen Thi My Hanh (62kg)
Do Ngoc Linh (50kg)
Nguyen Thi My Linh (53kg)
Nguyen Thi My Trang (58kg)

Fans were especially thrilled to see three biological sisters - My Linh, My Trang, and My Hanh - all win gold in their respective categories.

Vietnam’s women’s dragon boat team claimed gold in the 10-paddler 200m race.

The men's sepak takraw team won gold in the quadrant (4-player team) event after a nail-biting 2-1 win over Myanmar. This was a landmark victory for Vietnam in the sport.

Vietnam’s women’s futsal team made history by defeating Indonesia 5-0 in the final, earning their first-ever SEA Games gold. Key player Thuy Trang, a former mainstay of the national women’s football team, played a crucial role in the triumph.

The day concluded with U22 Vietnam pulling off a stunning comeback to beat U22 Thailand 3-2 in extra time, after being two goals down.

This epic victory sealed the SEA Games 33 gold in men’s football and confirmed head coach Kim Sang Sik’s regional dominance in 2025 - having already won the ASEAN Cup, the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, and now the SEA Games.

Silver (3):
Swimming - Men’s 10km open water: Mai Tran Anh Tuan
Archery - Mixed compound team: Dang Cong Duc and Le Pham Van An
Sepak takraw - Women’s quadrant: Vietnam

Bronze (2):
Archery - Men’s compound team: Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Nguyen Trong Hai, Dang Cong Duc
Swimming - Women’s 10km open water: Vo Thi My Tien

From the early morning qualifiers to the dramatic football final under the lights, December 18 was a celebration of resilience, excellence, and national pride for Vietnam’s delegation at SEA Games 33.

Vietnam eyes over 10 more golds to overtake Indonesia in SEA Games 33

With many of its strongest athletes still competing, the Vietnamese delegation is well-positioned to overtake Indonesia and finish second overall. Achieving this will require athletes to perform at their best - along with a bit of luck.

Wrestling, in particular, is forecast to deliver a “golden storm” today, with four men’s freestyle final bouts in the 57kg, 65kg, 74kg, and 86kg weight classes.

Boxing is also expected to contribute significantly, with six weight class finals scheduled.

Other sports with strong medal prospects include shooting, fencing, triathlon, esports, rowing, chess, aerobics, table tennis, and diving - all with chances to secure gold and add to the team’s overall tally.

According to sports analysts, if Vietnam competes at full strength and fortune favors the team, it could win more than 10 gold medals today alone.

SEA Games 33 will officially close on December 20. The Vietnamese delegation is now focused on winning gold in the remaining events, determined to meet its goal of surpassing 90 gold medals.

Dai Nam