SEA Games 33: Emotional farewells

Danger of injury

The Tay Ninh native is the leading hope of Vietnamese athletics in the men's javelin throw. At the 30th SEA Games, Hoai Van won a bronze medal with a score of 70.88 m. Three years later, at the Games held in Vietnam, he won a gold medal with a score of 70.87 m. He continued to win a silver medal at the 32nd SEA Games with a score of 69.55 m. Hoai Van conquered the 2025 National Championship with a score of 67.52 m, which served as the basis for selection to participate in the 33rd SEA Games.

Những cuộc chia tay đầy cảm xúc - Ảnh 1. — Without Bich Tuyen, the dream of winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal for Vietnamese women's volleyball is not easy. Photo: NGUYEN HUONG

Nguyen Hoai Van having to stay home has caused the number of Vietnamese athletics players to fluctuate and the performance targets have also been somewhat affected in the context of having to ensure winning at least 10-12 gold medals to compete with host Thailand.

Also in a similar situation are the cases of three female soccer players Chuong Thi Kieu, Nguyen Thi Van and Duong Thi Van.

These veteran faces will have to stay home as spectators, cheering for their teammates in the campaign to defend their title for the 5th consecutive time at the regional sports festival held in Thailand.

Coach Mai Duc Chung is fortunate to have a fairly full squad, many young but experienced players ready to fill the void left by his three senior colleagues.

Pause or stop?

Once assigned the task of winning the gold medal, the volleyball team quietly changed its goal at the 33rd SEA Games. The situation changed so quickly in just a few months that the Vietnamese women's volleyball team could not persevere with the goal of overthrowing the "monument" Thailand.

With a very strong force, having competed in many major tournaments and reaping important results, the Vietnamese women's volleyball team defeated Thailand for the first time to win a stage of the SEA V.League - a volleyball tournament for strong teams in Southeast Asia.

Unfortunately, due to not being able to have the service of Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, the hope of winning the SEA Games gold medal is becoming more and more fragile for the Vietnamese team, even though all the remaining positions on the field have made progress. It is also possible that the Department of Sports and Physical Training has asked to adjust the performance targets to help the Vietnamese women's volleyball team reduce the psychological pressure. However, the opportunity for the Vietnamese women's volleyball team to surpass themselves in Thailand is not easy.

SEA Games 32 champion Le Khanh Hung was not called up to the golf team while rising star in women's speedway Tran Thi Nhi Yen suddenly withdrew from the track and field team to compete in Thailand.

Once considered a worthy successor to the "speed queens" Vu Thi Huong and Le Tu Chinh, Nhi Yen at the age of 20 has a lot of potential to develop. The silver medal in the 100m event at the 2024 U20 Asian Championship (11 seconds 40), the bronze medal in the 2025 Asian women's 100m (11 seconds 54) are the basis for fans to hope for Nhi Yen, but unfortunately she proactively withdrew, even giving up the sports path to focus on studying culture.

Nhi Yen's departure from the team means that Vietnam's chances of competing for medals in the women's 100m and 200m events at the 33rd SEA Games will decrease significantly, if not be hopeless, as no viable replacement has appeared.

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