Vietnamese athletics reaffirmed its status as the team’s biggest gold contributor, dominating the track with 12 gold medals, while wrestling followed closely with 10 titles. Shooting added eight golds, swimming seven, karate six and taekwondo four, together painting a strong and convincing medal picture across key Olympic sports.

Assessing this positive shift, Hoang Quoc Vinh, deputy head of the Vietnam Sports Delegation, said the results reflected a clear and effective development direction.

“The outcome of this SEA Games shows the strong progress of Olympic and ASIAD sports, which contributed nearly 76% of the delegation’s gold medals,” he said. “This confirms that we are on the right track by concentrating resources on fundamental sports, rather than spreading investment across disciplines specific to the regional level.”

Another highlight of the Games was the emergence of a new generation of athletes in priority sports such as swimming, athletics and shooting. Several newcomers, competing at the SEA Games for the first time, delivered composed performances, secured valuable medals and fostered healthy competition within the national teams.

This is widely seen as an encouraging sign of a smooth generational transition, helping ensure continuity and sustainable development for Vietnamese sport in future cycles.

Commenting on the potential of the next generation, Hoang Quoc Vinh stressed the importance of maintaining targeted investment.

“Many young athletes may not have won gold yet, but their performances are already approaching continental standards,” he said. “This provides a solid basis for the sports sector to review and refine its investment strategy. We need to build on this momentum to develop them into key contenders at ASIAD 2026, and further ahead at the Olympic Games 2028.”

SEA Games 33 is regarded as an important stepping stone, marking a shift in Vietnam’s sports development from broad participation toward a stronger focus on quality and performance.

Lessons drawn from the Games in Thailand are expected to serve as valuable preparation as Vietnam looks ahead to SEA Games 34, and beyond that, higher goals on the global sporting stage.

SEA Games 33: Vietnam wins 13 more golds, maintains third position

VOV.VN - Vietnamese athletes claimed an additional 13 gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand on December 19, maintaining third position on the medal table.