Vietnam aim for boxing gold in SEA Games

According to the rules, each delegation can compete in six out of eight weight categories in the men's competition and four out of six in the women's competition.

The Vietnamese are putting their hopes for gold on the female boxers: Trinh Thi Diem Kieu in the under-46kg, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai in the U51kg and Liu Thi Duyen in the U54kg. Coaches are still deciding between Ngo Thi Chung and Le Thi Hien for the last berth in the U60kg pool.

The team is currently involved in an intensive one-month training course in China following a course in Thailand finished earlier this month.

Other than Kieu who replaces veteran Ngo Thi Phuong who has retired, all of the athletes have experience with international tournaments.

Coaches have the highest expectations for Duyen, a member of the H'Mong ethnic minority group, as she has an ideal body form and a great competitive spirit.

Duyen snatched a gold medal at the Indonesian King Cup in July and another at the World Junior Boxing Championship held in Turkey in April.

Previous achievements include two kick-boxing titles at the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam and Thailand's Asian Martial Arts Festival, both in 2009.

Vu Duc Thinh, head of the Boxing Department at the National Sports Administration, said Duyen is highly expected to triumph at the SEA Games.

On the men's side, national champion Huynh Ngoc Tan will represent the U49kg. Tan has a modern boxing style but his lack of international experience is his greatest weakness.

Policeman Nguyen Van Hai, one of the strongest Vietnamese competitors, will bout in the U52kg while SEA Games silver medallist Tran Quoc Viet will try to top the podium in the U54kg class.

Other competitors on the national squad include Truong Dinh Hoang in the U69kg, Luong Van Toan in U75kg and Vuong Dinh Chuong in the U81kg.

Vietnamese boxing has set of target of taking two of the total 70 golds the delegation hopes to secure at the Indonesia Games.