Taekwondo

KICKING OFF: Bạc Thị Khiêm (left) in action during the final of the women's 67kg at the 32nd SEA Games in May in Cambodia. Photo Giang Lao

Winning the two bronze medals for Việt Nam taekwondo at the recent Asian Games, Bạc Thị Khiêm has become the nation's hope in international competitions to compete at the Paris Olympics next summer.

The road to the top is long, but she has made a fairy tale on the way to reach her dream.

Khiêm was one of three children of a poor family in Quỳnh Nhai District of the mountainous Sơn La Province.

The Thai ethnic minority girl had a difficult childhood. Every day she had to walk a rough 8km dirt road to get to school and also help her parents with farming.

Like many other children in the mountain area, Khiêm had no idea about sports.

But when Khiêm was 12, she was introduced to coaches of the provincial Centre for Sports Training and Competition because of her good height compared to her friends.

"Her height was ideal at that time, she is currently 1.76m, and she has strong feet and legs that are suitable for taekwondo which uses many kicking techniques," said coach Quàng Văn Lịch.

NATIONAL HOPE: Bạc Thị Khiêm (right) and her coach celebrate their win at the 31st SEA Games in 2022 in Hà Nội. VNS Photo Minh Quyết

"It was the curiosity of a kid. I persuaded my parents to let me leave home to be a martial artist. My parents did not agree at first because they did not know what taekwondo was, and I had to live far from them. But I told them 'if people can do it, then I can do it' and I decided myself," said Khiêm.

"It seemed that my hard work with family and tough walk to school gave me a good height and strong feet, which helped me quickly progress in training, although the technique was quite difficult, and I suffered tiredness, much pain, and homesickness."

In her first year of training, Khiêm won six gold medals at national tournaments before taking titles at the National Youth Taekwondo Championship in 2014 and 2015, which pushed her to the national team.

In 2017, Khiêm topped the regional junior championship in her first international tournament, which she considered an important milestone in her career.

"I was thrilled at winning in my first overseas tournament. It was a big motivation for me until now," said Khiêm who later won gold for Việt Nam in the 30th and 31st SEA Games, and silver in the 32nd SEA Games.

SOLEMN: Bạc Thị Khiêm makes an oath at the send-off ceremony of Team Việt Nam to China Asian Games in September. VNS Photo Quý Lượng

"Khiêm has become one of the key athletes in the national team since 2017. Listening to coaches and learning from senior teammates help her grow up strongly," coach Vũ Anh Tuấn said.

"Taekwondo requires athletes' speed, strength, and endurance. They need to have agile moves and to quickly process information and situations when fighting. It is a sport that is difficult to get high results. Khiêm, however, can complete all tasks from the coaching board and grab remarkable results in both training and competition."

Her outstanding performance gave Khiêm a place at the 19th Asian Games and also brought her honour as the athlete to read the oath at the Việt Nam Team's send-off ceremony and be the national flag bearer, although due to her competition schedule, she could not fulfil the second duty.

"I competed in the Asian Games before but was eliminated in an early round. So this time, I really desired a medal," she said.

Khiêm made a big bang when she defeated a world top three fighter Kim Jan Di of South Korea in the quarter-finals of the women's 67kg. But she lost to powerful Song Jie of China in the semi-finals, taking home the bronze.

Earlier, Khiêm and her teammates took bronze in the team event.

HOPING FOR MORE: Bạc Thị Khiêm (right) in the third podium of the women's 67kg at the Asian Games. VNS Photo Quý Lượng

"I will practise harder for my next goals and will not rest on my laurels. I will have to achieve even higher results," said Khiêm who dreams of building a new house for her parents.

"Khiêm is at her best time of development currently. She will earn much better results. She will receive strong support to develop better in the future," coach Tuấn said.

Next month, Khiêm and her teammates will go on a long training camp in South Korea to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics' qualifications.

In Việt Nam's plan for 2024, taekwondo is expected to win a berth in the Paris Games in July. Khiêm is one of the nation's candidates to take on this huge challenge. VNS