Nguyễn Thị Thật competing in the SEA Games 31 in Việt Nam. She will be again a strong competitor of the Vietnamese team in the SEA Games 32 in Cambodia. VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đạt

Cycling

HÀ NỘI — As the 32nd edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia approaches, the Vietnamese cycling team is training hard to defend its impressive record.

Last year at the SEA Games 31 hosted in Việt Nam, the team took home four golds and two silvers, a testament to the country's strength in cycling.

The 30-member team has been divided into two groups that will compete in the road and mountain events.

The group of road cyclists have assembled at the National Sports Training Centre in HCM City, consisting of Nguyễn Thị Thật, Nguyễn Thị Thi, Nguyễn Thị Thu Mai, Lâm Thị Kim Ngân, Bùi Thị Quỳnh, Quàng Văn Cường, Võ Thanh An, Phan Hoàng Thái, Nguyễn Quốc Bảo, and Nguyễn Hoàng Sang.

They are led by coaches Huỳnh Văn Chánh and Nguyễn Huy Hùng.

Meanwhile, coach Nguyễn Đăng Sơn is training the mountain biking team at the National Sports Training Centre in Hà Nội.

The team consists of notable athletes who have excelled at previous SEA Games, including Đinh Thị Như Quỳnh, Cà Thị Thơm, Quàng Thị Soạn, Bùi Thị Huê, Trần Thị Mai, Đinh Văn Linh, Bùi Duy Tùng, Bùi Văn Nhất, Bùi Văn Hiếu, and Tống Thanh Tuyền.

The mountain bike category will compete from May 6-8, right after the opening ceremony on May 5, while the road bike event is set to take place on May 11-13.

To prepare for the region's most significant sporting event, Vietnamese cyclists will have several opportunities to hone their skills in the upcoming tournaments.

The female road cyclists will participate in the Biwase Cup, an international cycling tournament in Bình Dương Province in March.

Thật of team An Giang, who is currently training in Europe, will return home to attend the tournament. She has also competed in the UAE Tour 2023, a major cycling tournament in the UAE.

Meanwhile, the male riders will participate in the traditional HTV Cup cycling race, which runs from the beginning to the end of April, with routes from Hà Nội to HCM City.

After the SEA Games in Cambodia, Vietnamese cyclists will compete in the Asian Games held in China in September. VNS