Vietnam women's sepak takraw team wins World Cup for first time

(NLDO) - The Vietnamese women's sepak takraw team won the World Cup in India on the evening of March 21 when they defeated Thailand.

In the final match on the evening of March 21, the Vietnamese women's sepak takraw team took to the field with a lineup consisting of Tran Thi Ngoc Yen, Nguyen Thi My, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huyen and Nguyen Thi Yen. Of which, Ngoc Yen (number 4) is the 21-year-old key player with powerful hook shots on the net.

On the first point, Ngoc Yen made a hook shot to the back of the court but the referee gave the point to Thailand. Coach Tran Thi Vui immediately appealed to help the point be given back to Vietnam.

With high spirits, the team quickly took a 5-0 lead, including an accurate block at the net, and continued to widen the lead to 8-1.

The opposing team then tried to narrow the gap to 12-14. However, at the decisive point of the first half, Ngoc Yen continued to score with a hook shot over three blockers, helping Vietnam win.

Entering the second half, Thailand rose strongly, leading 5-1 and maintaining the advantage until the end of the half, bringing the match to a 1-1 balance.

Ngoc Yen (4) is the main player of the Vietnamese women's sepak takraw team (Photo: SepaktakrawIndia)

The third set continued to be dramatic. In one play, Nguyen Thi Yen (number 11) clearly hooked the ball inside the court, but the referee counted the score for Thailand. Coach Tran Thi Vui once again raised the board to complain.

After checking, the referee changed the decision, awarding a second point to Vietnam, making the players burst into tears.

From there, Vietnam led 3-0 thanks to a successful block and a hook shot that hit the barrier and bounced off. However, Thailand rallied and scored five consecutive points to lead 5-3.

However, the Vietnamese players did not lose control of the game, continuously chasing each point, and regained the lead when the score was 14-13.

In the decisive serve, Ngoc Yen hit the net with a hook shot, sending the ball into the Thai court. The opposing players were surprised and had no time to return the ball. The Vietnamese team burst into joy after the victory, although it took a while for the referee to confirm the result due to Thailand's complaint.

In the end, the score was still recognized, helping Vietnam win 15-13 and win the Sepak Takraw World Cup for the first time.

This year’s tournament took place at the Patliputra Indoor Stadium, Patna City, Bihar State, India from March 20 to March 25. The tournament brought together about 300 athletes and coaches from 20 participating delegations, competing in 150 matches over six days.

The competitions include: quad, regu and doubles for men and women. There is also a mixed quad event (both men and women).

Sepak Takraw World Cup is the only tournament organized by the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF), first held in 2011 and this year is the fifth edition. In the previous four editions, Vietnam won a total of five silver medals but has never won the championship.

Thailand remains the most successful team with nine gold medals, followed by Malaysia (two gold medals) and India (one gold medal).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tuyen-cau-may-nu-viet-nam-lan-dau-vo-dich-world-cup-196250322113754448.htm