Viet Nam haul in gold medals

Incredible hulks: Nguyen Quoc Khanh (top) performs in the men's wushu event, while weightlifter Tran Le Quoc Toan competes in the men's 56kg event at the ongoing SEA Games in Indonesia yesterday. Khanh won a silver and Toan a gold medal. — VNA/VNS Photos Quoc Khanh and Quang Nhut

HA NOI — Viet Nam did better than expected after eight days of competition at the on-going 26th SEA Games in Indonesia yesterday.

The team exceeded its target of 70 gold medals set before leaving for the tournament.

With another three nabbed yesterday in weightlifting, fencing and judo, Vietnamese athletes had taken 71 first places and stretched their lead over third-placed Thailand, on 67. Indonesia are leading with 119 golds.

"Our athletes have done their job very successfully. Fencing, swimming and especially gymnastics teams did much better than expected," said Hoang Vinh Giang, general secretary of the Viet Nam Olympics Committee.

"I really appreciate the gymnasts who won 11 out of their 14 events. I also admire 400m hurdle runner Dao Xuan Cuong who [days ago] brought Viet Nam gold in the event for the first time.

"I also admire high jumper Duong Thi Viet Anh who won despite injury," Giang said.

"I estimate that Viet Nam can harvest a total of 85 to 100 gold medals if our athletes are not pressured."

Yesterday's golds belonged to weightlifter Tran Le Quoc Toan, the women's foil team and judo artist Ho Ngan Giang.

Toan, in the men's 56kg category, passed all rivals with a total lift of 280kg, 2kg better than Indonesia's defending champion Jadi Setiadi. It was the first time in history Viet Nam took a gold in this weight category.

SEA Games Medal Tally Gold Silver Bronze 1. Indonesia 122 90 83 2. Viet Nam 71 67 68 3. Thailand 68 64 76 4. Malaysia 40 40 54 5. Singapore 32 38 61 6. Philippines 20 34 50 7. Laos 7 5 24 8. Myanmar 4 15 24 9. Cambodia 3 10 15 10. Brunei 0 1 7 11. East Timor 0 0 1 (Last update at 22pm Viet Nam time)

In previous Games in 2007 and 2009, Hoang Anh Tuan, who pocketed silver at the Olympics in Beijing, failed to conquer in the 56kg class.

Later, Nguyen Thi Nguyet, Nguyen Thi Bich, Nguyen Thi Tuoi and Ly Kieu Diem defeated Singapore 30-16 in the women's foil-team final to take the milestone 70th gold for Viet Nam.

Judoka Giang then had no difficulty in beating Hein Latt Zaw of Myanmar in the men's 60kg class.

Apart from three golds, the Vietnamese team also grabbed three silver and one bronze medal yesterday. — VNS

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