Bangkok, 10 December 2025 – The Vietnamese taekwondo coaching staff lodged an official complaint after judges awarded Singapore the gold medal in the mixed pair poomsae final at SEA Games 33, despite claims that the Singaporean athletes committed multiple technical errors.
The coaching staff of the Vietnam national taekwondo team has formally protested the referee decisions made during the mixed pair poomsae final, after the Vietnamese duo Nguyen Trong Phc and Trinh Thi Kim Ha were scored lower than their Singaporean opponents at SEA Games 33.
Phuc and Kim Ha delivered two strong performances in the mixed pair final on the afternoon of 10 December. Under competition rules, both teams had to complete two poomsae routines, with the total score determining the final ranking. Despite Vietnam’s clean execution and technical precision, the judges awarded Singapore a combined score of 8.670 – 8.444, securing the gold medal for the Singaporean pair.
Immediately after the results were announced, Vietnam’s coaching staff filed an official protest, arguing that the Singaporean athletes committed three technical errors during their routine but nevertheless received a higher score. The SEA Games Organizing Committee has been forced to conduct a professional review to address Vietnam’s complaint.
This is not the first protest involving the Singapore pair. In the semifinals, Singapore defeated the Philippines, leading the Philippine coaching staff to submit their own formal objection. However, the judging panel upheld the original result, allowing Singapore to advance to the final.
As of the time the judges conduct the official review, the Vietnam taekwondo team holds a silver medal in the mixed pair poomsae. With poomsae considered one of Vietnam’s strongest disciplines, the team had been hoping to secure its first gold medal of the day.
Vietnam’s athletes and coaching staff remain hopeful that the ongoing review will ensure fairness and transparency, especially as taekwondo poomsae is one of the key medal prospects for the Vietnamese delegation at SEA Games 33.
Thanh Trang
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