SEA Games 31: Vietnamese athletics ready to defend reign at regional event
Vietnamese athletes have set a goal of winning 16-18 gold medals to defend the country's first place in the track and field events at the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Nguyen Thi Oanh (centre), who won triple gold at the 30th SEA Games, is expected to bring the first gold medal home for the national track and field team at the women's 1,500m final, which will take place on May 14. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese athletes have set a goal of winning 16-18gold medals to defend the country's first place in the track and field events at the upcoming31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Vietnam will send a powerful team of 25 experts,coaches and 80 athletes to compete in the tournament's event.
The Vietnam Athletics Federation predicts the topgold medal chances are in the women’s 400m (Quach Thi Lan and Nguyen ThiHuyen); the women's 800m (Khuat Phuong Anh); and the men’s 3,000m steeplechase(Do Quoc Luat and Nguyen Trung Cuong).
If these athletes stay fit and healthy, they willwin gold medals, it said.
Among those registered for the national track andfield team at the tournament, there are outstanding athletes, including Nguyen ThiOanh, who won triple gold at the 30th SEA Games in the women’s 1,500m, 5,000mand 3,000m steeplechase.
Oanh is expected to bring the first gold medalhome for the national track and field team at the women's 1,500m final, whichwill take place on May 14.
Athletes who have the potential to make abreakthrough include Nguyen Thanh Ngung and Vo Xuan Vinh in the men's 20km walkand men's 4x400m relay; Nguyen Van Lai in the men’s 5,000m, Hoang Nguyen Thanhin the men's marathon.
However, the professional level of athletes fromThailand and the Philippines is on the rise, making it harder for Vietnameseathletes to compete with them. 400m champion Tran Nhat Hoang will face fiercecompetition from Phitchaya Sunthonthuam of Thailand, and Trenten Anthony Beramof the Philippines. The most recent record of Beram is 46.01 sec and Phitchaya Sunthonthuam's 46.46, while Hoang’s personal best is 46.96.
Vietnam dominated the athletics competition in thePhilippines two years ago with a collection of 16 gold medals, which was four ahead of powerhouse Thailand and surpassed their SEA Games target by five golds.
The SEA Games 31 will take place in Hanoi and 11adjacent provinces from May 12 to 23, 2022, offering 526 sets of medals across40 sports. The track and field competition is set to take place at theHanoi-based My Dinh National Stadium between May 14 and 19 with 47 sets ofmedals up for grabs./.
A ceremony will be held on April 28 in Hanoi to see off the sports delegation of Vietnam to the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) slated for May 12 – 23 in Hanoi.
Organising committees of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in localities have been encouraged to give free tickets to spectators during the event, thus spreading the sports spirit in line with the event's slogan “For a stronger Southeast Asia”.
Nguyen Trong Nha Uyen has made history for Vietnam’s dancesport by clinching a bronze medal in the solo Latin category at the WDSF World Championship 2025 in Germany.
The ambassador noted that among the 300,000 Vietnamese residing in the RoK, around 3,000 are living in Pyeongtaek and contributing actively to the local economy. Ho expressed his hope that the local authorities will continue support the overseas Vietnamese community in the city.
This is the first time since the adoption of the Convention that a country has served two consecutive terms on the Committee. The outcome shows the trust and recognition that member states have given Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in carrying out and promoting the Convention, as well as for its active role, strong standing, and growing credibility at UNESCO.
Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
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The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
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For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
Nguyen Thi Oanh (centre), who won triple gold at the 30th SEA Games, is expected to bring the first gold medal home for the national track and field team at the women's 1,500m final, which will take place on May 14. (Photo: VNA) 
