The Vietnamese team won six golds and topped the medal tally at last year's Games in Cambodia. Prior to that, in the 31st SEA Games on home turf, they earned seven gold medals and also finished first.

This year, the team will aim for the highest result to defend their first-place position.

“We are practising with high concentration with the strongest athletes who have achieved great results and demonstrated their abilities at recent local and international competitions,” said Vu Son Ha, head of the Karate Department of the Sports Authority of Vietnam.

Among the 38 fighters who began their training a month ago are familiar faces, such as Giang Viet Anh, Le Hong Phuc, Pham Minh Duc, Nguyen Thi Phuong, Luu Thi Thu Uyen and Nguyen Ngoc Tram of the kata (performance) team and Nguyen Thi Ngoan, Dinh Thi Huong, Hoang Thi My Tam and Chu Van Duc of the kumite (combat) team.

In addition to the senior martial artists, young talents such as Truong Nam Tien, Nguyen Thi Bao Ngoc, Pham Thi Dao, Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly, Nguyen Phuong Thao and Nguyen Ngoc Tu are also joining the team.

According to the coaching board, the young fighters will take the opportunity to prove their ability, as Vietnam nurtures the next generation.

"I have not competed in the SEA Games previously. I hope that I will secure a place in the SEA Games team this time, and I will do my best to bring home a medal," said Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly, who won the world youth gold in 2022 and Asian gold last year.

“Ly is a young fighter with high quality and potential. She proves her ability from tournament to tournament," said head coach Duong Hoang Long.

"We strongly support her in training and hope that she will make use of her strength to earn the highest results."

Karate is one of Vietnam’s best sports in every regional and international Games.

In the past two years, the national team has achieved remarkable results, including three gold medals and second place in the 2024 Asian championships, a gold at the Asian Youth championship and 21 golds and the top spot in the 2024 Southeast Asian championships.

Son said these medal-winning athletes are expected to continue to achieve good results at this year's international tournaments, including the SEA Games.

“The SEA Games are an important goal. We have made careful plans and will prepare well for the regional arena, where all teams will also focus on earning the highest score,” he said.

In Thailand, there are 15 sets of medals: seven for the men's kumite, six for the women's kumite and two for kata.

Prior to the Games, athletes will take part in the Asian championship in May in Uzbekistan and the world tournament in November in Egypt, as well as other high-level international events.

These are not only warms-up for the SEA Games, but also a preparation for the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD) in 2026 in Japan.

In the previous ASIAD tournament, Vietnam’s karate team bagged one gold, one silver and two bronze medals./.