Vietnamese petanque strives to assert its position

That impressive achievement not only affirms the position of Vietnamese petanque on the world map but also creates motivation and opens up great confidence in the goal of winning 2 gold medals at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 33) taking place in Thailand at the end of this year.

Vietnam women's petanque team won the Gold Medal at the 2025 Petanque World Championship.

Shine on the world stage

The 2025 World Petanque Championship takes place from October 9 to 12, 2025 in France. The Vietnamese women's petanque team will participate with two teams, gathering the best players: Nguyen Thi Hien, Lai Thi Dung, Nguyen Thi Thi, Thach Thi Anh Lan, Kim Thi Thu Thao, Nguyen Thi Thuy Kieu, Trinh Thi Kim Thanh and Le Ngoc Nhu Y. Among 45 countries and territories participating in the tournament, Vietnam team 2 showed excellent performance when it defeated Vietnam team 1 in the quarter-finals with a score of 13-3, then defeated Belgium in the semi-finals with a score of 13-10.

In the memorable final match against strong opponent Thailand - the team that has dominated the region for many years, coach Dang Xuan Vui's students played explosively, winning convincingly 13-1 to step onto the highest podium. This is the second consecutive time that Vietnamese women's petanque has won the World Gold Medal, after winning the tournament also held in France in 2023. Notably, this is also the first time that Hanoi petanque has contributed female athletes Nguyen Thi Thi and Lai Thi Dung to the world championship team in this event.

Head of the Hanoi Petanque Department (Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center), also the head coach of the Vietnam Petanque team, Dang Xuan Vui, shared that the athletes competed with great spirit, followed the tactics, and showed their bravery in each throw. This gold medal is the result of the continuous efforts of the whole team, and is a great motivation for the team towards the 33rd SEA Games.

However, the joy of winning the World Gold Medal of Vietnam's petanque is accompanied by worries about the news that petanque may be removed from the 33rd SEA Games competition program due to the ban of the World Petanque Federation (WPBF) on the host country Thailand. WPBF has temporarily suspended the petanque organization rights of the Thai Petanque Association due to management and financial transparency issues, and warned that if countries still send athletes to participate, they may be banned from international competition for 2 years...

Doan Tuan Anh, head of the petanque department (Vietnam Sports Administration), said: “Up to this point, we have not received any official document on removing petanque from the 33rd SEA Games. In the most recent document, WPBF still agreed to organize petanque, only requesting that it be assigned to an independent committee instead of the Thai Petanque Federation. Therefore, we still maintain the training plan and prepare forces for the 33rd SEA Games.”

Determined to maintain achievements and affirm position

Despite the unpredictable changes at the international level, the Vietnamese petanque players still show a serious training spirit, aiming for the highest goal. Head coach of the Vietnamese petanque team Dang Xuan Vui said: “SEA Games is our most important tournament. If it is not in the program, the athletes will be greatly affected in terms of psychology and motivation to compete. However, the whole team still maintains an optimistic spirit and tries their best for the flag and the colors of the country.”

Currently, the Vietnamese petanque team has gathered for training from October 15 to November 15 at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, with 12 athletes (8 women, 4 men), to prepare for the 2025 Asian Championship taking place in Malaysia in November 2025. After this tournament, the team will shift its focus to the 33rd SEA Games with the goal of winning 2 gold medals according to the target of the Vietnam Sports Department.

According to former Head of the Vietnamese Sports Delegation Tran Duc Phan, Vietnamese petanque is in a stable development stage, possessing a team of experienced and balanced athletes, including a group of female athletes capable of defending the world championship. Winning the gold medal in France - the birthplace of this sport - is a clear demonstration of Vietnam's competitiveness not only in the region but also at the continental and world level.

Doan Tuan Anh, Head of the Petanque Department (Vietnam Sports Administration), emphasized that although there are still many controversies surrounding the decision of the World Petanque Federation, recent signals show that petanque is likely to be included in the 33rd SEA Games program. The Thai Petanque Federation has also affirmed that it is coordinating with WPBF to resolve problems and ensure that this competition takes place as planned. If everything is approved, it will be good news not only for Thailand but also for the whole region, especially Vietnam.

Hopefully, with careful preparation and determination of athletes and coaches, the Vietnamese petanque team will continue to make its mark on the international and regional arenas, first of all at the 33rd SEA Games, held in Thailand in 2025.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bi-sat-viet-nam-no-luc-khang-dinh-vi-the-720179.html