Shooting

Trịnh Thu Vinh is one of 15 Vietnamese athletes at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Cup 2025. Photo laodong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The shooting team will be the first national squad to take part in an international competition after the Lunar New Year holiday.

The tournament, with the participation of 280 shooters from 22 countries and regions, will be held from February 9-22 at the SAT Shooting Ranges.

Paris Olympians Trịnh Thu Vinh and Lê Thị Mộng Tuyền will compete at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Cup 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, targeting top places on the podiums.

In addition, the Vietnamese squad will include other notable faces such as Asian Games champion Phạm Quang Huy along with SEA Games winners Phí Thanh Thảo, Nguyễn Thùy Trang and Hà Minh Thành.

Marksmen will be back to their normal training sessions on February 2 at the National Sport Training Centre in Hà Nội.

“This is our first tournament of the year. My shooters began preparing for their competitions prior to the Tết rest. When they are back in action they will have to quickly keep in tune with the intensive practice," said Vũ Thị Anh Đào, an official of the shooting department of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam.

"The Cup will feature the continents' strongest shooters and my athletes will not only vie hard to complete their goals, but also look for other competitors' weaknesses, so they can adjust their proficiency for even better outcomes.”

Vinh, who earned Việt Nam's best results in the women's categories at the Olympics, said she really enjoyed Tết time with her family, but she still spent time practising, both in terms of physicality and technique.

“In 2025, I want to prove my ability. I will strictly follow the plans of the coaches to ensure my best performance across all tournaments. I want to be a better version of myself in the New Year," said Vinh.

Meanwhile, Tuyền believed that only when shooters maintain their top form both physically and mentally, can they achieve success.

Tuyền said the Asian Cup would be a very competitive tournament, so Vietnamese marksmen would also have to be very determined in order to get medals.

Asian Games champion Phạm Quang Huy aims high in all tournaments in 2025. VNA/VNS Photo

“I have set myself high targets in several important tournaments this year, so I have worked hard to make sure I achieve them. I will also try my best to meet expectation of coaches and my supporters," said Huy, who paired with Vinh and won a gold in the 2024 Asian championships' 10m air pistol.

The SAT Shooting Ranges is also a venue which will be used during the 33rd SEA Games. So Vietnamese coaches and athletes will also take this opportunity to get familiar with the facility in readiness for competitions later in the year. VNS