Taekwondo gold medalist Tran Thi Anh Tuyet: 'I also felt pressure from the referees'

Overcoming immense pressure from both Thai fans and referees in the final match, female martial artist Tran Thi Anh Tuyet still defeated her home opponent to win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. What did she say?

Taekwondo fighter Tran Thi Anh Tuyet with her SEA Games 33 gold medal - Photo: NK

On the afternoon of December 13th, female taekwondo athlete Tran Thi Anh Tuyet brought home the only gold medal for Vietnam on the final day of taekwondo competition at the 33rd SEA Games.

Three Vietnamese fighters reached the finals, but only Anh Tuyet won the gold medal in the tense and dramatic under-57kg final. The 27-year-old faced immense pressure from both Thai fans and the referees.

Anh Tuyet defeated the defending champion Phannara Harnsujin 7-2 in the first round. In the second round, after trailing the Thai fighter 5-0, Anh Tuyet performed better to catch up and then take a 12-10 lead.

However, at this point, the referee made unfavorable decisions, allowing Phannara Harnsujin to continuously score points and win 13-12, thus leveling the score at 1-1 after two sets.

Tran Thi Anh Tuyet (right) in the final match against Thailand - Photo: NK

Entering the decisive round, Anh Tuyet led 8-0 as her opponent became fatigued. As time went on, she only moved to dodge blows, accepting point deductions, and ultimately won 8-3, thus winning the match 2-1 overall after 3 rounds.

This is Anh Tuyet's third gold medal in four SEA Games appearances. At the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia two years ago, she only won a silver medal in the 62kg weight category after losing to Sasikarn Tongchan (Thailand).

Speaking after winning the gold medal, Anh Tuyet said she was very happy, emotional, and proud to have defeated the Thai fighter.

She said, "When the match entered the second round, even though we were leading 5-0, I was still a little nervous. Because in the previous matches, when we faced the home team's fighters, the referees often made some biased decisions in favor of Vietnam."

"I also felt pressured by the referee. Because I challenged kicks that I felt had landed, but from the referee's perspective, they didn't. In the third round, when I had more opportunities to take the lead, I felt a little more confident in winning," she added.

At the conclusion of the taekwondo competition, Vietnam won 4 gold medals (3 in sparring and 1 in poomsae), fulfilling the target set before departure.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nu-vo-si-taekwondo-doat-hcv-tran-thi-anh-tuyet-toi-cung-bi-ap-luc-voi-trong-tai-20251213164627644.htm