Vietnam tops Southeast Asian Karate Championships

Hanoi, February 22 (VNA) – Vietnam ranked first at the 2023 Southeast Asian Karate Championships, which concluded in the Philippines on March 19.

Vietnamese athletes secured 23 gold, 20 silver and 23 bronze medals from tournaments for both seniors and juniors during the seven days of competition in Manila.

Prominent among the winners is Asian champion Hoang Thi My Tam who secured a double title after beating Chokprasertgul Sirigamolnate of Thailand in the women's U21 55kg class and Montalvo Jenelle of the Philippines in the senior pool.

Thailand finished second with eight golds, 10 silvers and 18 bronzes, while Indonesia ranked third with eight golds, five silvers and 11 bronzes.

The regional tournament lured more than 280 athletes from 10 countries, competing in both kata (performance) and kumite disciplines. Vietnam sent 73 competitors to the Manila event, which was considered their last warm-up for the 32th SEA Games in May in Cambodia.

At the previous Games, Vietnam topped the medal tally with seven golds, two silvers, and six bronzes./.