33rd SEA Games: Pencak silat, rowing fuel Vietnam’s surge to 53 gold medals

Vietnam sustained their upward momentum at the 33rd SEA Games as pencak silat and rowing once again delivered golds, pushing the nation’s total haul to 53 gold medals on December 17 morning.

The spotlight fell on Nguyen Tan Sang, who produced a disciplined performance to retain his SEA Games crown in the men’s 75 80kg pencak silat final. Facing a home favourite, the Vietnamese fighter controlled the contest to secure a dominant 84 53 victory, underlining his composure on the stage.

The final was hard-fought and physically demanding. Sang absorbed several heavy blows and was briefly floored, but his resilience proved decisive as he returned to dictate the tempo and close out a convincing win. The result added another crucial gold to Vietnam’s pencak silat campaign on a pivotal competition day.

Vietnam also collected silver in pencak silat, with Duong Thi Hai Quyen finishing runner-up in the women’s 50 55kg category after a 29 42 loss to Indonesia. Her effort was all the more remarkable given that she completed the final with a broken toe, continuing without medical attention.

In rowing, Vietnam maintained its status as a regional powerhouse. The women’s quadruple sculls crew of Bui Thi Thu Hien, Nguyen Giang, Dinh Thi Hao, and Pham Thi Hue delivered a composed and powerful race to take gold, edging out strong resistance from hosts Thailand.

The victory once again highlighted rowing as one of Vietnam’s most reliable medal sources at the 33rd SEA Games.

Vietnam’s archers claimed silver, struggling with consistency as too many arrows drifted into the eight-ring. Indonesia, by contrast, showed clinical accuracy, repeatedly finding the centre to seal a 5 0 win./.