Sepak takraw

HÀ NỘI — Thailand were the world powerhouse in sepak takra but it was Việt Nam that emerged victorious in the women’s quadrant (four-player team) event of the World Sepak Takraw Championship, also known as King's Cup, held on July 27 in Songkhla Province, Thailand.

In a thrilling final at the Hat Yai Indoor Stadium, packed with thousands of Thai supporters, the Vietnamese quartet staged a dramatic comeback to defeat the host team 2-1, clinching the championship title.

It was a really meaningful win for Việt Nam as they just lost 0-2 to the Thais in the women's team event on July 26.

Under strong support and high confidence from previous victory, Thailand stormed to dominate the first set and quickly won 15-12.

The second set was totally different as Việt Nam took lead from the first point. They were better in either attack or defence. Most of Thailand's strikes were blocked while Trần Thị Ngọc Yến's attempts were irresistible. Việt Nam won 15-8.

Thailand started strong in the final set, leading 5-2. However, Việt Nam’s resilience and unwavering spirit saw them score six consecutive points to surge ahead 8-5. Despite tactical adjustments by Thai coaching board, the hosts couldn’t contain the Vietnamese momentum. They used all of time-outs to change tactics but failed to improve their situation. Việt Nam won 15-7.

This marks the third time the team's third world title in a row, following their previous victories in 2022 and 2023. The event was not organised last year.

It is the second win of Việt Nam over Thailand in major tournament this year. The first one was in the World Cup in March.

Earlier on July 27, Vietnamese team lost 0-2 to Japan in the men's quadrant.

It was the team's fourth defeat in a row, preventing them from earning their first ever world title.

Việt Nam showed their good performance from group round to the semi-finals but they couldn't maintain their peak in the gold-medal match. Meanwhile Japan showed their strong progress match by match and were almost perfect in the final.

Japan's few minor errors throughout the match were just chances for Việt Nam to score. But it was not enough for the Southeast Asian giant to overthrow the situation, losing 7-15, 10-15.

Head of Japanese delegation Terashima Takeshi and his players burst into tears for their first ever world gold medal.

Việt Nam suffered same results to South Korea in 2022 and Thailand in 2023 and 2024.

The Sepak Takraw World Championship is held from July 22 to 28. Việt Nam concluded the tournament with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. VNS