As the first athlete of the Vietnamese team to play on May 19, boxer Tran Van Thao is expected to play a match to bring the perfect start to the host country. The Trigger's opponent in the semi -final of 52kg male weight is Linh Htut Paing, Myanmar boxer.
With the level of a fighter who affirmed his name, plus the experienced experience of international competition, Tran Van Thao was highly appreciated than Paing. The competition at home, plus the physical strength helps Tran Van Thao have an advantage before stepping on the stage.
On the side of Paing, this boxer was injured in the quarterfinals when tearing the skin in the ear area and bleeding. That seems to affect Paing's performance on the day of confrontation Tran Van Thao. However, it is undeniable that Thao played a great match on May 19.
Before Paing, Tran Van Thao did not hesitate to take advantage of height and arms. The powerful attacks of The Trigger made Paing constantly fall into a weak position. The first half ended with the absolute victory in favor of Tran Van Thao, when he was given 5/5 of the victory assessment with a score of 10-9.
Entering the second half, Thao's play continued to be shown by Paing. The Myanmar boxer attacked, but most of his punches were not accurate when Thao avoided it very well to counterattack. Paing's efforts only helped him to get an examination of 10-9. The remaining four people said the victory belonged to Tran Van Thao.
The match between Tran Van Thao and Paing did not change when the match turned to the last half. Thao still shows the level of one of the above players with the ability to move flexibly and correct punches. In this Hiep, there were 4/5 judges of Thao won.
At the end of the match, Tran Van Thao won the gap 5-0 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27). This victory helped Thao become the first Vietnamese boxer to reach a Boxing final at the 31st SEA Games.