Vietnam concluded the 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Serbia with a bronze medal, the only medal for the country, earned by female boxer Ha Thi Linh in the 63kg weight class.
Early Saturday morning (Vietnam time), Linh, seeded No. 5, faced Thailand’s top-seeded Thananya Somnuek in the semi-finals of the tournament.
The two had previously met in 2023, with Somnuek emerging as the winner.
With her strength and youth, Somnuek was favored going into the rematch.
In the first round, Linh held her ground, but in the second and third rounds, she began to lose stamina, allowing Somnuek to secure a dominant 5-0 victory with scores of 29/28, 30/26, 30/27, 29/27, and 30/27.
Despite the loss, Linh claimed the bronze medal, marking her first-ever medal at a World Championship.
This was the only medal for the Vietnamese boxing team at this year’s tournament.
Earlier, Vo Thi Kim Anh in the 54kg weight class and Hoang Ngoc Mai in the 70kg weight class were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
The remaining Vietnamese boxers -- Ngo Ngoc Linh Chi, Ngo Thi Mai Chuc, Tran Thi To Nhu, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran, and Nguyen Huyen Tran -- did not medal but gained valuable experience for future competitions in 2025.
The 2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships is underway in Niš, Serbia from March 8 to 16, with the Vietnamese boxing team sending eight athletes into the competition.
The team made a significant mark in the 2023 tournament, with Nguyen Thi Tam securing the runner-up spot in the 50kg weight class.
In addition to the World Championships, the Vietnamese team will also compete in several upcoming events this year, including the Asian Junior Boxing Championships from March 10 to 24, the Asian Youth & U22 Boxing Championships from April 14 to 28, the Asian Boxing Championships in June, the Asian Youth Games in September, the Asian Boxing Cup in November, and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in December.
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