Athletics 

Hoàng Thị Ngọc Anh is one of Vietnamese athletes in the Thailand Open Track & Field Championships 2025 on June 22-26 in Pathumthani. Photos webthethao.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's young athletes will be going for gold at the Thailand Open Track & Field Championships 2025 on June 22-26 in Pathumthani.

National junior championships winners and record holders Hoàng Thị Ngọc Anh, Lê Thị Tuyết Mai and Nguyễn Khánh Linh are among those tipped for a place on the podium.

Ngọc Anh will compete in the women's 3,000m and 5,000m steeplechase races, which have been dominated by Vietnamese athletes in regional tournaments, especially the SEA Games.

Her senior teammate Nguyễn Thị Oanh has set the benchmark in these events at the past four SEA Games.

Ngọc Anh has been training in athletics since 2020. After two years, she has achieved remarkable results with top three finishes in the National Junior Championships' middle distances. 

Notably, she won gold for Việt Nam in the ASEAN Schools Games' 3000m steeplechase in a time of 10min 16.12sec last June. Five months later, she took bronze from the National Athletics Championships. 

The Thailand Open is the first major tournament for Ngọc Anh, who is tipped to be a new 'Nguyễn Thị Oanh' of Việt Nam.

Mai is a member of the national women's 4x400m team which won a bronze in the Asian Relay Championships last year in Thailand. She also won two gold medals in the ASEAN Schools Games' 400m individual and 4x400m mixed relay.

Asian U18 champion Nguyễn Khánh Linh will compete in the women's 1,500m and 5,000m. -- Photo webthethao.vn

Meanwhile, Linh won gold medals in the women's 1,500m at the Asian U18 tournament in 2022 and 2023.

Other athletes include Nguyễn Hữu Toàn (men's javelin), Phạm Văn Nghĩa (men's long jump), Ngô Thị Mỹ Duyên (women's heptathlon) and Lê Thị Cẩm Dung (women's discus).

According to the coaching board, the Thai event will give Vietnamese young runners, jumpers and throwers opportunities to show their abilities and gain experience that helps them improve their personal records.

It will be Việt Nam's last international competition before the 33rd SEA Games.

There are 45 events: 22 each for men and women, and one mixed event, held at the National Athletics Centre. 

Vietnamese representatives will take part in 11 events.

The Open will feature hundreds of athletes from across Asia, serving as a key warm-up event ahead of the 33rd SEA Games, which will be held in Thailand from December 9 to 20. VNS