Swimmers Nguyen Huu Kim Son, Nguyen Huy Hoang, Hoang Quy Phuoc and Tran Hung Nguyen set a new record at SEA Games 31 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese swimmers set a record in men's freestyle relay event: The Vietnamese swimming team set a new record at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), with a time of 7 minutes and 16.31 seconds, winning the gold medal in the men's freestyle 4x200m relay event on May 17, the 4th day of competition. Swimmers Nguyen Huu Kim Son, Nguyen Huy Hoang, Hoang Quy Phuoc, and Tran Hung Nguyen competed with their rivals from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia in this event.

This is the second time at SEA Games 31, that Vietnamese swimmers have defeated Rio 2016 Olympic champion Joseph Schooling of Singapore and his teammates in the relay event. On the same day, Vietnamese swimmers also brought home two more silver medals in the men’s 200m breaststroke and 100m butterfly events, and one bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 400m competition.

Nguyen Linh Na (856) in the 800m run of the women’s heptathlon on May 17 (Photo: VNA)

Gold for Vietnam in women’s heptathlon: With her excellent performance in heptathlon, Nguyen Linh Na of Vietnam made an impressive comeback on May 17, the second competition day of this sport at SEA Games 31, to pocket a gold medal. On the previous day, Norliyana Kamarruddin of Malaysia took the lead in the women’s heptathlon with 3,237 points and became a strong contender for the gold. Nguyen Linh Na ranked second with 3,231 points.

Na a still followed Kamarruddin in the long jump on May 17, leading to an 18-point gap with 3,960 points for the former and 3,978 points for the latter. However, thanks to her outstanding performance in the last two events, the Vietnamese athlete recorded 41.85 meters in javelin and 2 minutes and 25.35 seconds in the 800-meter run to secure 5,415 points in total, topping the women’s heptathlon.

The women’s sepak takraw final between Vietnam (in white) and Myanmar on May 17 (Photo: VNA)

One more silver for Vietnam in sepak takraw: The women’s sepak takraw team had a 2-0 win over Myanmar on May 17, bringing home another silver medal. This is the last match of the team in the women’s team regu category. The Vietnamese earlier beat Malaysia and Cambodia but lost to Thailand, thus having to accept silver.

Thailand walked away with gold in the category, and Myanmar got bronze. In the men’s team regu, the Vietnamese team could not enter the semifinals. Thailand won gold, while silver went to Malaysia and both Indonesia and the Philippines got the bronze. The Vietnamese Sepak Takraw players had earlier won a silver and a bronze.

Wrestler Bui Tien Hai (red) defeats his Lao opponent Khamlar Salavong to win gold in the men’s 60kg (Photo: VNA)

Wrestling brings six gold medals: Vietnam's wrestling team secured six gold medals on the first day of competition at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) at Gia Lam Gymnasium in Hanoi on May 17.

Wrestler Bui Tien Hai defeated his Lao opponent Khamlar Salavong to win gold in the men’s 60kg, while Bui Manh Hung brought home the second gold medal after defeating the Filipino opponent after two rounds in the men’s 67kg.

Nguyen Ba Son knocked out his rival from Indonesia Andika Sulaeman in the men’s 77kg category, while Nghiem Dinh Hieu defeated Thai opponent Chinathurat in the men’s 87kg, winning two more gold medals.

Closing the first day of the competition, Nguyen Minh Hieu and Ha Van Hieu bagged more gold medals in the men’s 97kg and 130kg, respectively.

Sprinter Quach Thi Lan wins the 14th gold medal for the Vietnamese athletics team (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam pockets one more gold medal in athletics: Sprinter Quach Thi Lan set a record of 56:32 in the women's 400m at SEA Games 31, winning the 14th gold medal for the Vietnamese athletics team. Lan and her compatriot Nguyen Thi Huyen were up against opponents from Thailand and the Philippines in the final. Huyen bagged a silver medal. The 18th ASIAD (Asian Athletics Championships) champion confirmed her No.1 position in the region.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (R) and Pham Le Thao Nguyen after finishing their chess finals at SEA Games 31 on May 17. (Photo: VNA)

Married couple brings home two more chess golds: Married couple Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and Pham Le Thao Nguyen enjoyed their second big day by triumphing in the men’s and the women’s individual rapid chess at the ongoing SEA Games 31 almost at the same time on May 17. Nguyen outlasted Malaysia’s Sim Jia Ru while her husband, grandmaster Son, defeated Megaranto Susanto of Indonesia to enter the finals where they both faced opponents from Singapore.

Nguyen claimed victory over Gong Qianyun just a few minutes before Son’s win over Tin Jingyao, taking two more gold medals for Vietnam at the regional games. Son has wrapped up his SEA Games 31 journey with two golds. Nguyen will compete in three more events.

Malaysian cyclist reaches the finish line. (Photo: VNA)

Malaysia concerned about medal standings: The national mountain cycling crew of Malaysia made history on May 17 by bagging the country’s first gold medal in the mixed cross-country relay event at the ongoing SEA Games 31. The event took place in Vietnam’s Hoa Binh northern mountainous province. In the final, the squad comprising Ahmad Syazrin Awang Ilah, Zulfikri Zulkifli, Nur Assyira Zainal Abidin and Natahsya Soon clocked 1:23:14 to emerge victoriously. The best achievement of the Malaysian team was winning the silver medal in the Games in 2011.

Speaking to the Malaysian national news agency Bernama, team manager Firdaus Arshad described the success as an amazing achievement as the national squad, which was labeled as ‘underdogged’, managed to spring a surprise. He said the gold medal was also made possible by the strong fighting spirit after Assyira and Natahsya bagged silver and bronze medals respectively in the women’s cross-country event a day earlier.

The success also ended Malaysia’s 11-year medal drought in cycling at the SEA Games. In the 2011 edition in Indonesia, Masziyaton Mohd Radzi clinched the silver medal in the women’s cross country event, improving her own record of winning bronze at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos.

Merwin Matheiu Tan of the Philippines (centre) wins a gold medal with 1,292 points in the men’s singles bowling event at SEA Games 31. (Photo: VNA)

The Philippines and Singapore grab golds in bowling: The Philippines and Singapore secured gold medals in the men's and women's singles bowling events at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) on May 16. Matheiu Tan of the Philippines won the gold medal with 1,292 points in the men’s singles. The silver and bronze medals went to Yannaphon Larpapharat of Thailand and Ryan Leonard Lalisang of Indonesia.

In the women’s singles, bowler Cherie Tan Shi Hua of Singapore scored 1,236 points to clinch the gold. Sharon A Limansantoso of Indonesia came second and Tan Shi Hua’s teammate New Hui Fen took the bronze. Twelve athletes from six countries, namely Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, participated in the bowling competitions.

Medal table for sports delegations competing in the 31st SEA Games by the end of May 17th, 2022. (Photo: Sea Games 31)

Sea Games 31 Updates (May 17): Vietnam Tops Medal Tally, Thailand Ranks First in Men Football Group B Vietnam has so far obtained 197 medals, including 88 golds, at the ongoing SEA Games 31, topping the tally and leaving other competitors far behind.

SEA Games 31 Updates (May 16): Vietnam Leads Medal Tally As of May 15, Vietnam tops SEA Games 31's medal tally with 155 medals in total, far exceeding the runner-up, Thailand, who secures 92 medals.

SEA Games 31 Updates: Vietnam Athletes Get Off to a Good Start Vietnamese sport competitors have determined to perform their best in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games.