Vietnam aims to win 110 gold medals

Today, December 9, the 33rd Southeast Asian Games - SEA Games opened in Thailand. The Vietnamese sports delegation attended the games with 1,165 members, of which 841 athletes competed in 47 sports and sub-sports.

Flag-raising ceremony of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 33rd SEA Games on December 8.

This is one of the largest SEA Games in terms of the number of Vietnamese athletes, reflecting the strong investment and high expectations for the achievements and maturity of national sports. The team's goal is to win 110 gold medals - a challenge, but not too far out of reach.

The Vietnamese sports delegation’s preparations for the 33rd SEA Games have been underway for months at national training centers. Key teams such as athletics, swimming, wrestling, weightlifting, canoeing, and martial arts have been systematically invested in from training regimens, nutrition, recovery, to high-tech technical analysis. Many teams have received guidance from foreign experts with training technology from countries with developed sports.

This year, the psychological factor is given more attention. The delegation invited sports psychology experts to support in the period leading up to the competition, helping to stabilize the spirit, reduce pressure and improve the confidence of athletes, especially the group of young athletes participating in the Games for the first time.

The target of winning 110 gold medals is considered appropriate for the current strength and competition. Key sports such as athletics, swimming, rowing, canoeing, wrestling, shooting, archery and martial arts still play a key role. However, the 33rd SEA Games is expected to be fiercely competitive. Host Thailand aims to return to the number 1 position; Indonesia and the Philippines both registered the strongest forces, invested large budgets and placed high expectations. This makes achieving Vietnam's goal not only require high performance but also stability and the ability to handle pressure in dense competition conditions.

SEA Games 33 is also an opportunity to check the progress of Vietnamese sports preparations for further goals such as ASIAD 2026 and Olympics 2028.

Athletics and swimming - two fundamental sports of the Olympics - continue to be the pillars of this SEA Games. The progress in the middleweight and relay events helps athletics to be expected to bring home a significant number of medals. Meanwhile, the young swimmers following the generation of Nguyen Huy Hoang are considered to be a force capable of competing for medals in many events. Rowing and canoeing, which have been strong for many years, are assessed by coaches to be capable of contributing more than 10 gold medals if the athletes reproduce their training form. Martial arts groups, taekwondo, karate, wushu, pencak silat and muay Thai are still traditional "gold mines". Competition in these events is always fierce, but Vietnam still maintains its advantage thanks to its strong force and rich international competition experience.

A notable point of this year's delegation is the appearance of nearly 300 young athletes aged 18-23. This is a generation with high expectations in the strategy of rejuvenating the country's sports force. SEA Games is a necessary test for young talents before entering the Asian and world arenas. Letting them compete in a high-pressure but still controlled environment is expected to be a way to build courage - an important factor to reach the continental and Olympic level.

★ In the bustling atmosphere of the biggest sports festival in Southeast Asia, the flag-raising ceremony of the delegations participating in the 33rd SEA Games took place on the afternoon of December 8 at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium (Bangkok).

Speaking at the ceremony, 18-year-old swimmer Trinh Truong Vinh said this was a special experience in his young career. “I feel very honored, moved and proud to be present at this important event. That makes me more determined to compete well and contribute to the overall success of Vietnamese sports at this SEA Games,” Vinh shared.

Not only a traditional ritual of the Congress, the flag-raising ceremony at the 33rd SEA Games also reflects a deeper message of solidarity, friendship and commitment to building a peaceful and sustainable ASEAN Community. When the national flags of 11 ASEAN countries fly together to the solemn music, it is a vivid symbol of the motto "One Vision - One Identity - One Community", which has been mentioned many times by ASEAN leaders in recent Joint Statements.

★ The opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games will take place at 7 p.m. tonight (December 9) at Rajamangala National Stadium (Bangkok), expected to be one of the most impressive sports and cultural performances in the region. The host country, Thailand, affirmed its readiness to bring a grand, meticulous and unique opening ceremony. Mr. Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), emphasized after the rehearsal with more than 500 students: "The performance will reflect Thailand's sports potential. I guarantee that this opening ceremony will not be inferior to any other place." SAT also said that all previous mistakes have been carefully learned from.

With the theme “Flame of Passion”, the opening ceremony was divided into 5 main parts, recreating the history, honoring the diverse culture of Thailand and ASEAN, combining 3D lighting technology, fire-water effects, sound and modern stage. The message “We Are One” was emphasized as an affirmation of solidarity as the foundation of the Southeast Asian community. The 33rd SEA Games marked the return to Thailand after 18 years and the 66th anniversary of the formation of the regional sports festival, an opportunity for the host country to affirm its position and dynamic, creative image to international friends.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/viet-nam-dat-muc-tieu-doat-110-huy-chuong-vang-post928910.html