Weightlifting

Hoàng Thị Duyên is one of Việt Nam's medal hopes at the 19th Asian Game later this month in China. — Photo baolaocai,vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese weightlifters are hoping for medal glory at the September Asian Games (ASIAD) in China with the country's best athletes selected for the Hangzhou event.

A six-strong team of three men and three women will head to the 19th edition of the tournament where they also seek for points for a place at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

At ASIAD, there are 14 weight categories. Seven events for men are from 61kg to over-109kg while women will compete in seven classes ranging from 49kg to over-87kg.

Vietnamese athletes Trịnh Văn Vinh and Nguyễn Trần Anh Tuấn will take part in the men's 61kg; Trần Minh Trí in the men's 67kg; Phạm Đình Thi in the women's 49kg and Quàng Thị Tâm and Hoàng Thị Duyên in the women's 59kg.

All of them have made remarkable results for Việt Nam in international competitions but Vinh, Duyên and Tâm are expected to be among the medals.

Vinh won a gold in the snatch event in the 2017 championship before he was banned because of doping affair. In his comeback early this month, he placed fifth in the men's 61kg class.

Trịnh Văn Vinh has potential for a high result at the China's Asian Games. — Photo of Trịnh Văn Vinh

Although not being in top three, Vinh's performance was highly praised by coaches.

Duyên is the national most successful female lifters of Việt Nam as she has been in top three of the world championship, World Cup and Asian championship along with a collection of title at the SEA Games. She was Việt Nam's representative at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She just returned home from an intensive training in the US in preparation for the Games.

Tâm is a national rising star. The 20-year-old won a gold, a silver and a bronze from the Asian championship last year.

"Due to different reasons, not all the athletes were sent to train abroad. The rest are training at the National Sport Centre No 1 in Hà Nội. The coaching board builds training plans for each of them so that they could bring into play their best and achieve their goals," said Nguyễn Huy Hùng, Weightlifting Department official of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam, expecting his athletes could enter top three of their classes.

"Athletes, especially Duyên, are in their final preparations for the Asian Games. We hope that she will deliver her peak performance in China."

Việt Nam have not topped the podium in weightlifting in the ASIAD in the past. The highest result was two silvers by Thạch Kim Tuấn in the men's 56kg and Vinh in the men's 62kg classes in the 18th Games in 2018 in Indonesia.

The Việt Nam's send-off ceremony for the ASIAD will be held on September 16 in Hà Nội. The weightlifters will leave for Hangzhou on September 24. Their competitions are held from September 27-October 7. — VNS