Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese sports delegation ranked second at the 30^thꦓ Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 30), only after the host Philippines, with 98 golds, 85 silvers and 103 bronzes.

The ranking is beyond expectation as Vietnam had set the target of gaining only 65 gold medals and being named in the top three of the Games.  Both men’s and women’s football squads brought home gold medals. The women’s football team has become the first in the category to win the championship for six times. Women’s football team celebrate their victory at SEA Games 30 (Photo: VNA) After 60 years of waiting, Vietnam have eventually realised the dream of clinching the first-ever SEA Games men’s football title following their fantastic 3-0 victory against Indonesia in the final match. Together with the supreme triumph of the women’s team earlier, this is the first time that Vietnam has dominated the football competition at the SEA Games arena.

Media in Asia, including the Strait Times of Singapore, Sport Seoul newspaper of the Republic of Korea and Fox Sports Asia, have given words of praises to coach Park Hang-seo and his Vietnam U22s disciples.

Besides, other words like “Vietnam football final”, “Sport TV” or “Park Hang-seo” were among top 10 key words searched at that time. The track and field team made an outstanding performance with 16 golds, ranking fist in the event. Nguyen Thi Oanh secured a hat-trick of individual titles in the women’s 1,500m, 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase. Vietnamese wrestlers also pocketed 12 golds, with seven earned on the last competition day (December 10). Swimming was Vietnam’s third “goldmine”, contributing 11 golds to the country’s medal count. Especially, with a sparkling collection of six individual golds and two silvers, “little mermaid” Nguyen Thi Anh Vien became the most outstanding athlete in this year’s SEA Games. The Vietnam sports delegation also harvested success in many other Olympic and non-Olympic events, including archery (3), arnis (4), billiards sports (1), boxing (1), canoeing (2), cycling (2), dancesport (2), fencing (4), gymnastics-aerobic (3), gymnastics-artistic (3), beach handball (1), judo (2), karate (2), kickboxing (4), kurash (7), muay (1), pencak silat (1), table tennis (1), taekwondo (5), tennis (1), weightlifting (4) and wushu (3). In 2010, the Prime Minister approved the national sport development strategy to 2020, laying out the directions for the domestic sport sector in the years to come.

According to Vuong Bich Thang, General Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, since 2011, the sport sector has focused on major sport events included in Olympics and ASIAD such as track and field, swimming, weightlifting, taekwondo, chess, karate, table tennis and football.

In that spirit, athletes have received intensive training both at home and abroad, he said, adding that the sector has also teamed up with relevant state agencies and social organisations to promote sport development.

Besides, it has renewed the athlete selection and training system with the aim of improving the quality of athletes, while scaling up international integration efforts, he said.

𝓀 Such efforts paid off as over the past years, the domestic sport sector has recorded marked achievements at continental and international tournaments.

With the Vietnam Sports Administration’s motto “All the best for athletes and coaches”, training, competition performance and medical treatment for young athletes have improved over the years.

An official health committee was established in 2014, which proved to be effective aid for athletes in regional and international competitions. 

ඣ In addition to medical treatment from experts in various sports, the health committee also serves as mental support for athletes, so they can focus on improving their performance./.