Vietnam wins first pencak silat gold at 2019 SEA Games

ABO/NDO – Tran Thi Them earned the first gold medals for Vietnam’s pencak silat team in the tanding (combat) events at the ongoing 30th SEA Games in the Philippines on the morning of December 5.

Vietnamese pencak silat fighter Tran Thi Them (red belt) in action during the women's 50-55kg final match. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Them brilliantly finished off her Indonesian opponent Kause Jeni Jeni 5-0 in the women’s 50-55kg final to pocket Vietnam's first title on Thursday.

The fighter's triumph increased Vietnam’s gold-medal tally at the 2019 SEA Games to 28 as of 11.30 today, 29 fewer than that of the Philippines and seven ahead of third-placed Malaysia.

The pencak silat team also claimed a silver medal this morning thanks to Nguyen Dinh Tuan in the men’s tanding 50-55kg category, along with two more bronzes from Pham Thi Tuoi in the women’s tanding 45-50kg and Nguyen Ngoc Toan in the men’s tanding 60-65kg.

Ly Hoang Nam (pictured) will play teammate Daniel Cao Nguyen in the men's singles final. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Vietnam has been guaranteed a tennis gold medal as Ly Hoang Nam and Daniel Cao Nguyen are set for a men’s singles final match today.

The swimming teams are hoped to bag a number of gold medals for the Vietnamese delegation later in the afternoon, with Nguyen Thi Anh Vien competing in the women’s 50m backstroke and 200m breaststroke final and Le Nguyen Paul competing in the men’s 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley final.

(Source: NDO)