Vietnam finds it hard to be in SEA Games 2017 top 3: media

Vietnam will find it difficult to realize the target of advancing to top three of Southeast Asia (SEA) Games 2017, because the host Malaysia plans to remove many sports events which are Vietnam's strength , local media reported Wednesday.

The SEA Games 2017, slated for Aug. 19-31 in Kuala Lumpur, were initially planned to include 34 sports events with 342 sets of medals. But the host country has recently proposed to remove wrestling and many categories of some other events such as rowing, women's boxing and women's weightlifting.

Malaysia also plans to add some events which Vietnam lacks conditions to practice, including ice hockey, ice skating, horse racing and rugby sevens.

If Malaysia regards its decision as the final one in July, Vietnam will find it hard to successfully stay in top three, Vietnamese daily Tien Phong (Pioneer) said.

The Vietnam Olympic Committee hopes to work with Malaysia so that the host country will add 6-8 categories of fencing, women's boxing, wushu, race walking and 10,000-meter athletics, Tien Phong (Pioneer) on Wednesday quoted the committee' s vice chairman Hoang Vinh Giang.

At the SEA Games 2015 in Singapore, Vietnam ranked the third with 73 gold medals, after Thailand with 95 gold medals and Singapore with 84 gold medals. Endit