Bac Ninh (VNA) – Vietnamese kickboxers are currently in intensive training in order to show the best performance at the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

The country will send five female kickboxers (in the categories of 48kg, 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, and 65kg) and seven males (51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, and 71kg) to the Games.

Among them, the team has high hopes for Nguyen Thi Hang Nga (women’s 48kg, gold medallist at SEA Games 30 in 2019), Huynh Van Tuan (men’s 51kg, gold medallist at SEA Games 30), Nguyen Xuan Phuong (men’s 57kg, gold medallist at SEA Games 30), and Nguyen Quang Huy (men’s 60kg), head coach Tran Thanh Tuyen said.

Le Thi Nhi (women’s 56kg) and Bui Hai Linh (women’s 52kg) are also promising athletes, he went on.

The team aims at four - five gold medals at SEA Games 31 and will strive to defend and outperform the four golds secured at the previous Games in the Philippines.

Formidable opponents of Vietnamese kickboxers are those from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, according to Tuyen.

To achieve the target, the team’s members gathered in September 2021 and have been training at the multifunctional gymnasium of Bac Ninh province, the venue of kickboxing events, since April 30.

As there are only a few days left before competitions begin, training is being ramped up while focus is also being put on devising strategies and analysing rivals so as to have the best competition methodology, the head coach added.

At SEA Games 31, kickboxing events will take place at Bac Ninh province’s multifunctional gymnasium from May 6 to 13, with the participation of Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Themed “For a stronger Southeast Asia”, SEA Games 31 is scheduled to take place in Hanoi and 11 nearby localities from May 12 to 23. It will feature 40 sports with 526 events and attract 10,000 participants./.