Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai (right) presents the emulation flag to Hanoi's SEA Games trainers and athletes.

Hanoi was represented by 25 trainers and 107 athletes in the Vietnamese sport delegation to Kuala Lumpur from August 19-31. The Hanoi team demonstrated themselves as a key unit of the Vietnamese contingent, bringing home 50 medals of different colours, including 17 golds, 18 silvers and 15 bronzes, among the Vietnam’s overall tally of 168 medals.

Notably, Hanoi’s wushu artist Duong Thuy Vi racked up two individual gold medals and was one of the first Vietnamese gold medalists at the 2017 Games.

Addressing the meeting, Hoang Trung Hai, Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, recognised and praised the significant achievements obtained by Hanoi athletes in Malaysia, whilst congratulating the municipal sport sector for having successfully realised the targets and tasks set for the 29^th SEA Games.

He expressed his belief that local trainers and athletes would continue setting more records and achieving even higher results at the SEA Games, national and international competitions in the future.

On behalf of the honourees, Truong Tuan Hien, a gymnastics trainer, and wushu fighter Duong Thuy Vi thanked the Hanoi leaders and people for always encouraging them to practise and compete well, whilst promising to continue overcoming difficulties in order to maintain the no. 1 position of Hanoi sport in the national sport circle, as well as to enhance the position of Vietnamese sport in the region and around the world.

On the occasion, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung decided to reward Hanoi’s SEA Games medalists with respective cash prizes of VND55 million (US$2,420), VND30 million and VND25 million for a gold, silver and bronze medal. An additional VND20 million will be presented to each gold medalist with an SEA Games record. The bonus for trainers is half of that for athletes.

In addition, Chung also decided to grant a certificate of merit and another bonus from the municipal People’s Committee to 23 gold medalists and nine trainers of the Hanoi team, with VND6 million for each athlete and VND3 million for each trainer.