The final drew an energetic crowd, with spectators cheering continuously for the four athletes vying for gold. Vietnam’s pairing of Le Thi Mong Tuyen and Nguyen Tam Quang ultimately prevailed over Thailand’s Sastwej Chanittha and Tortungpanich Napis after a dramatic, neck-and-neck contest.
Under competition rules, the first team to reach 16 points wins. Both sides traded precise shots from the outset, keeping the score tight throughout. The duel reached a tense 14–14 deadlock before the decisive round, where Mong Tuyen and Tam Quang both struck the bull’s-eye to clinch victory 16–14. Tuyen delivered the final shot that sealed the gold.
“In the early rounds I felt a bit tense,” Tuyen admitted. “But hearing my teammates cheering behind me helped me regain my composure and shoot with greater precision.”
The triumph marked the first gold medal for Vietnam’s shooting team at SEA Games 33, where the squad aims to bring home seven titles. “I’m overwhelmed and at a loss for words,” Quang shared. “This medal represents the effort of both of us.”
Mong Tuyen’s achievement also capped a remarkable two-year journey. In 2024, she became Vietnam’s first rifle shooter to qualify for the Paris Olympics, a milestone that sharpened her focus heading into SEA Games 33. Though she debuted at the SEA Games in 2022 as a young and inexperienced athlete, she left without a medal. Winning her first SEA Games gold this year, she said, fulfilled a long-held personal goal: “This is the result I have waited for. I finally met my own expectations.”
This SEA Games is the first time Mong Tuyen and Tam Quang have competed together at an official international event, following months of joint training. The rifle squad also completed a pre-Games training camp in Thailand.
Immediately after their victory, Vietnam’s Chef de Mission Nguyen Hong Minh, met the pair to congratulate them and awarded an immediate bonus. The Vietnam Shooting Federation also granted VND10 million per individual gold and VND15 million per team gold, further recognizing the significance of their achievement.
