Shooting

Phạm Quang Huy (second, right) and teammates aiming for medals in international events in 2025. — VNS Photo Quý Lượng

HÀ NỘI — Gold medals from the recent Asian tournament have inspired the Vietnamese shooting team to believe they can get the same high results in 2025.

Việt Nam finished in fourth place at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Cup 2025 in the medal table, with the team securing three golds, three silvers and five bronzes in Bangkok.

The most notable was a gold from the men's team 25m rapid pistol, the first time ever that Việt Nam triumphed in this event.

Earlier, duo Phạm Quang Huy and Trịnh Thu Vinh proved the nation's strength in the mixed pairs 10m air pistol, winning a second title in a row.

According to the national coaching board, strong teams such as China and India did not take part, while some other teams did not field their best athletes, which may have impacted the standings of teams. However, all Vietnamese marksmen showed their progress and their results were impressive.

Key competitors such as Huy, Vinh, Hà Minh Thành and Phan Công Minh maintained their high calibre performances and showed strong mental resilience.

"This tournament helped me gain a lot of experience to improve myself. Shooters often face psychological problems during our competitions and the difference is that good athletes know how to control their psychology better, " said Vinh, who also took bronze in the women's team 25m sport pistol event. "I want to practise more to lift my mental strength through international tournaments."

National shooting team are welcomed home after the Thailand's Asian Cup on February 22.

Speaking about his athletes, coach Trần Quốc Cường said: "My athletes kept training (at home) for the tournament during the holiday period. After the 2025 Lunar New Year celebration, the whole team quickly returned to our work and were involved in serious training and their performances reflected this. Among them, Huy and Vinh both maintain stability, earning achievements beyond themselves."

Having no time to rest after the Asian Cup, athletes have to prepare for the next events, in particular the 33rd SEA Games later this year.

"This year, there are some events that provide points for athletes for the Olympics. We will focus on three tournaments, the Asian championship, the world championship and the SEA Games," Cường said.

"The above achievements will be a strong motivation for the team. We hope the athletes will continue to maintain good form to advance to the next tournaments and successfully complete the set targets."

The Asian championships will be held in August in Kazakhstan, the world event will be in November in Egypt, while the SEA Games is scheduled for December in Thailand.

Cường added that 2025 was also a preparation year for Việt Nam ahead of the Asian Games 2026 and Olympics 2028, when shooting would be one of key sports hunting for medals.

Athletes will train locally under Mongolian coach Byambajavyn Altantsetseg and will have opportunity to compete against South Korean team in a friendly visit to Hà Nội.

The Sports Authority of Việt Nam plans to hire another expert to elevate the quality of the rifle shooters even higher in the next few weeks. — VNS