Cueist Trần Quyết Chiến (centre) receives the trophy for the Best Male Athlete of 2024 at the Victory Cup awarding ceremony on January 10 in Hà Nội. Photos of Vietcontent

HÀ NỘI — The trophies for best athletes of the 2024 Victory Cup went to markswoman Trịnh Thu Vinh and cueist Trần Quyết Chiến at the awarding ceremony on January 10 in Hà Nội.

The annual Victory Cup was to honour only one best candidate of 11 categories based on their achievement grabbed in 2024.

The event which was considered the Vietnamese 'Oscar award' of sport was in its eighth edition since 2014 with two years of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was jointly organised by the Sports Authority of Việt Nam, VTVcab and renown broadcaster Vietcontent with a total of VNĐ750 million (US$29,600) bonus in cash.

Shooter Vinh took the limelight in the Best Female Athlete category. She made remarkable success with one Asian championship gold, a fourth place in the 10m air pistol and seventh place in the 25m pistol in the Paris Olympics along with many domestic titles.

Trịnh Thu Vinh is the Best Female Athlete of the Year.

“I am proud to win this trophy this year. My achievement is partly contributed by teammates, coaches and supporters. Thank you very much," said Vinh on the stage.

"To me, all athletes are deserved to win the trophy for their great effort all year-round. The title will be strong motivation for me to strive better, heading to more success in the upcoming SEA Games and further, the 2028 Olympics. I will practise for the best form to win more medals for Việt Nam."

Prior to the Victory Cup win, Vinh also won in the Top 10 Athletes of the Year voted by local sport reporters and journalists.

Cuiest Chiến had no worthy rival in the Best Male Athlete class as he had a perfect 2024 with two World Cup wins, one world team championship title and No 1 place in both UMB's World Players Ranking and Events Ranking.

Powerlifter Lê Văn Công was the Most Favourite Athlete voted by supporter and also the Best Athlete with Disabilities.

Powerlifter Lê Văn Công makes a double with the Best Athlete with Disabilities and Most Favourite Athlete of the Year.

Công won a bronze in the men's 49kg class at the Paris Paralympics after dominating the World Cup and Asian championships.

The Best Young Athlete title went to canoeist Nguyễn Thị Hương who earned two Asian championships silvers and three golds from the Asian U23 competition. She also took six titles from the Southeast Asian tournament and Việt Nam's first ever canoeing place at the Paris Olympics.

Nguyễn Thị Hương thanks people for voting her as Best Young Athlete of 2024.

Her trainer Lưu Văn Hoàn received the Best Coach of the Year.

South Korean Park Chung-gun earned the Best Expert of the Year for his contribution to the national shooting squad. It was the second time in a row that Park took the honour.

South Korean shooting coach Park Chung-gun walks away with the Best Expert of the Year title.

He left the team after the Olympics but still kept his eyes on Việt Nam, his second home country where he lived and worked for more than a decade, and Vietnamese sports.

The Best Teammates of the Year went to the quartet Quách Thị Lan, Nguyễn Thị Hằng, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc and Hoàng Thị Minh Hạnh who are national women's 4x400m team members.

In 2024, they successfully won the Asian championship gold, the first time for Việt Nam.

“It is an important award recognised our achievement of the year. It will push us in both training and competing in 2025 and we will do everything better to meet demands of managers and supporters," said Lan.

The Best Team of the Year belonged to the national volleyball squad which recorded a brilliant 2024 with a title of the AVC Challenger Cup, a third place of the FIVB Challenger Cup and a place in the world championship 2025.

Best Team of the Year goes to captain Nguyễn Bích Tuyền and her volleyball teammates.

It was the second straight year that they topped this category, the first time a team made this record in the Victory Cup.

The Best Sport Image went to photographer Nguyễn Quang Minh's work that shot striker Nguyễn Xuân Son celebrating his ASEAN Cup 2024 goal with a kiss in the national flag in his chest.

The Lifetime Sport Award this year was given to Professor Lê Văn Lẫm, former Principal of Bắc Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports. VNS