SEA Games 23 : Vietnam increasing success in Olympic sports
One of the more notable successes of Vietnam sports at SEA Games 23 which wrapped up today is the increase of medals it won in Olympic sports.
Achievements in Olympic sports will ensure Vietnam more international success in sports events as Olympic Games and Asian Games.
At the latest SEA Games 23 in the Philippines, statistics show Vietnam won 50 gold medals from Olympic sports, which are defined as those governed by the Olympic Charter (see box below) and only Olympic sports may be included in the program of the Games of the Olympiad which are held every four years.
The 50 gold medals Vietnam gained from Olympic sports include 8 from athletics, chess with 8, gymnastics 5, wrestling 7, taekwondo 4, judo 4, shooting 3, fencing 2, canoeing 3, billiards 2, cycling 2, swimming 1 and women’s football 1.
In addition, three of the Vietnamese gold medalists, all women, broke SEA Games records. Bui Thi Nhung won the high jump with a record 1.89 meter leap; Truong Thi Thanh Hang smashed the 1500m record with a time of 4 minutes 18:50 seconds; and Do Thi Bong smashed a 10-year-old record in the 800m with a time of 2 minutes 03:65 seconds.
In comparison to other regional teams, Vietnam, who ranked third at SEA Games 23 medal tally with 71 gold medals, is shortening gap with regional countries - Thailand winning 58 gold medals and Philippines wining 63 in Olympic sports.
As a result, the head of Vietnam’s sports delegation to the Philippines, Nguyen Hong Minh predicted that with progress Vietnam can finish in second in Thailand in 2007 ahead of the Philippines, who topped SEA Games 23 with 114 gold medals as the hosts.
By Dang Khoa - Thanh Nien - December 5, 2005.
SEA Games : Thailand beat Vietnam to win gold in soccer final
BACOLOD - Striker Teeratep Winothai scored a hat-trick to power Thailand to a 3-0 victory over Vietnam Sunday in the final of the men's football competition at the Southeast Asian Games. Winothai, also the hero in semi-final against Indonesia, found the net in the 43rd minute after following up a deflected header.
His second came in the 76th minute, with the third coming sixth minutes later to secure Thailand's seventh consecutive Southeast Asian Games crown.
Vietnam last won the gold in 1959 in Bangkok, when the games were called the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games.
They took silver two years ago when Hanoi hosted the games.
Malaysia, meanwhile, took the bronze medal, defeating Indonesia 1-0.
Thai coach Chanvit Phalajivin praised Vietnam but said Thailand were the stronger outfit on the day.
"Our team was better today than Vietnam," he said.
Vietnam's Austrian coach Alfred Riedl said Thailand's strikers simply overwhelmed the defence.
"There was no weak point for them. We were under pressure from them for 90 minutes. They are tough and they deserve to win," he said. "We had no chance to score and they played top-level and they have strong strikers."
Chanel News Asia - December 5, 2005.
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