Bac Ninh, May 8 (VNA) - Kickboxing competitions at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) began in the northern province of Bac Ninh on May 8.

Nearly 90 kickboxers from eight countries will compete in Low Kick and Full Contact until May 13.

Twelve matches are set to take place after the opening ceremony, notably four of Vietnamese kickboxers.

Vietnam’s team comprises five females and seven males. This time, four gold medallists at the SEA Games 30 are medal hopefuls of the country.

This is the second straight time that kickboxing has been a SEA Games sport. Vietnam topped the sport’s medal tally at the previous Games in the Philippines in 2019.

SEA Games 31, themed “For a Stronger South East Asia”, will be held in the capital and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities from May 12 to 23.

Featuring 40 sports with 526 events, it is expected to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic./.