Vietnam’s campaign at the Asian Games on September 27 brought mixed fortunes across multiple disciplines, highlighted by a crucial semifinal qualification in sepak takraw and standout individual performances in shooting and archery.
The Vietnamese men’s regu sepak takraw team booked their spot in the tournament semifinals following a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Myanmar on September 27. The squad—comprising Nguyen Van Nhan, Ngo Thanh Long, and Luong Cong Minh—bounced back from an opening 0-2 morning defeat to Malaysia, where the sets finished 9-15 and 15-17. Against Myanmar, the team rebounded decisively, taking the match 15-5 and 15-13 to advance. Meanwhile, in the women’s double event, Nguyen Thi Thu Trang and Nguyen Thi Khanh Ly fell 1-2 to Laos after a three-set battle ending 15-12, 10-15, and 9-15.
Archery and Shooting Highlights
Vietnamese archers recorded several notable wins during the September 27 sessions. In the recurve mixed double event, Dang Cong Duc and Le Thuy Phuong Nhi defeated their Iranian opponents 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals. In the compound mixed double category, Nguyen Hoang Phi Vu and Loc Thi Dao overcame a Bhutanese pair 158-150 to secure a spot among the top eight couples.
Team competitions proved tougher for the delegation. The women’s compound team—consisting of Le Thuy Phuong Nhi, Le Pham Ngoc Anh, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao—exited in the quarterfinals following a narrow 223-226 loss to China. The men’s recurve team similarly bowed out at the quarterfinal stage against Chinese Taipei.
In shooting, Trinh Thu Vinh delivered a strong opening performance in the women’s 25-meter pistol qualification. Across three rounds of slow fire, the shooter posted scores of 95, 99, and 97 for a total of 291 points, placing her temporarily third. Teammates Nguyen Thuy Trang and Nguyen Thuy Dung recorded 283 and 279 points respectively, finishing 28th and 39th ahead of the rapid-fire stage.
Results Across Beach Volleyball, Badminton, and Athletics
Beach volleyball provided another bright spot as Nguyen Lam Toi and Nguyen Van Viet defeated Mongolia 2-0 in Group C, controlling both sets with identical 21-13 scores. In badminton, Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh exited the men’s doubles quarterfinals following a 6-21, 10-21 defeat to Indonesia.
Kurash competitors faced early exits as Pham Nguyen Hong Mo fell 0-5 to Uzbekistan’s Kodirova Fotima in the women’s under-57kg round of 32, and Nguyen Thi Huong dropped her match 0-3. In men’s volleyball, Vietnam opened Group C play with a 0-3 loss to India before facing Qatar. On the track, Le Thi Cam Tu placed seventh in the women’s 200-meter final with a time of 23.53 seconds.
Medal Standings
At the close of competition on September 27, the Vietnamese delegation held 1 gold, 1 silver, and 16 bronze medals, totaling 18 medals and placing 21st in the overall standings. China maintained the lead in the medal table ahead of host nation Japan in second and South Korea in third.
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