'Little Devil' Dao Hong Son loses to Thai athlete at SEA Games

SEA Games champion Dao Hong Son loses in his first match. Jiu-jitsu athlete Dao Hong Son - world champion in 2022 and two-time consecutive SEA Games champion (31 and 32) - lost to a Thai athlete in his first match in the men's under 60 kg weight category.

Facing home athlete Mathupan Naphat in the quarterfinals of the under 62 kg category, Dao Hong Son still displayed high confidence. He started strongly, trading blows with his opponent.

The reigning world champion in the 56 kg weight class capitalized on his signature fast-paced, powerful fighting style. Son even led the home athlete 3-1 early in the match.

However, against an opponent with a better physique and competing in his preferred event, Hong Son became increasingly exhausted. He was originally in a lower weight class, but because this weight class wasn't included in the SEA Games 33, he had to gain weight to compete in the under 62 kg category, which was outside his comfort zone.

Standing at 1.49 meters tall, Hong Son faced more difficulties in the later stages of the match and consistently fell far behind his opponent in points.

Subsequent efforts by the coaching staff and Hong Son could not change the outcome of the match. Hong Son ultimately lost 7-16 in the quarterfinals, thus being relegated to the lower bracket and losing the opportunity to advance further to compete for the SEA Games gold medal.

Hong Son's failure in this event did not surprise the coaching staff. Despite being the 2022 world champion and the winner of two SEA Games 31 gold medals, Hong Son had to compete in an event that was not his forte.

Son then defeated his teammate Le Kien in a match that was similar in significance to the third-place playoff. Son and Kien both won bronze medals; this final match only served to determine the ranking between the two athletes. Photo: Dan Quan.

Dao Hong Son's defeat was the highlight of an otherwise disappointing day for the Vietnamese ju-jitsu team at the 33rd SEA Games. The team's competition day on December 10th concluded with seven bronze medals and a single silver medal won by Phung Mui Nhinh.

Source: https://znews.vn/quy-lun-dao-hong-son-thua-vdv-thai-lan-o-sea-games-post1610060.html