Vietnam won both indoor handball titles at the 2026 Southeast Asian championship in Thailand. SGGP Sports reported that the men beat the Philippines 35-31 in the final and the women defeated hosts Thailand 24-12.
The results carry different context from the previous edition. Vietnam’s men returned to the top after finishing runners-up in 2025, while the women successfully defended their title.
Men return to first place
SGGP said coach Tăng Quý Minh’s men competed alongside Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. They took the title with a four-goal margin against the Philippines.
A report by Vietnam’s sports authority said the men had beaten Singapore on 5 November to reach the gold-medal match. In the previous year’s final Vietnam lost to Thailand and finished second.
SGGP named several players from Hồ Chí Minh City’s sports programme in the squad, including Liêu Gia Kiện, Nguyễn Ngọc Hải Triều and Phạm Nguyễn Anh Tín. Other members included Vũ Chí Linh and Nguyễn Hoàng Thanh.
Women retain their crown
The women’s 24-12 final win came against Thailand. The sports authority said coach Nguyễn Thanh Tùng led a 16-player squad that included Nguyễn Thanh Huyền, Trần Hải Yến and Hà Thị Thu Huệ.
Vietnam had also beaten Thailand 24-17 in an earlier match at the same tournament. Those are separate results; 24-12 was the final score.
SGGP said the men’s and women’s beach events were scheduled for 8–10 November in Chonburi. Vietnam sent four indoor and beach teams with 62 delegation members in total, according to the sports authority. Before the championship, the men trained at the national sports training centre and the women at Bắc Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports, the authority said.