Athletics

Vietnamese runners in the 4x400m mixed relay at the 33rd SEA Games. They take gold medal and set new Games record. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Sports Team

 HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese track-and-field athletes received huge bonus and were asked to strive harder for better after their remarkable results at the recent 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.

Their strong effort and determination helped Việt Nam finished second in the athletics' ranking with 12 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze medals and set up two new Games records and four national records.

A commendation and awards ceremony was held to honour the team in general and outstanding athletes in particular.

Among the best were veteran runners Nguyễn Thị Oanh and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc with three golds, and Quách Thị Lan and Nguyễn Trung Cường with one each.

The young competitors such as high jumping winner Nguyễn Thị Kim Anh, triple-jump champion Hồ Trọng Mạnh Hùng, and two-time silver medallist Nguyễn Thị Tuyết show potential of Việt Nam in the near future.

A big purse of VNĐ1 billion (US$38,000) was given to athletes and coaches by the federation as promised prior to the Games. 

They also received extra bonus of VNĐ534 million along with precious gifts from Dragon Marine International Company Limited, VietContent, Garmin Việt Nam, and Vietnam Young Talent Support Fund.

However, the team were also asked to solve their existing problems to reach higher levels.

"We met our target in term of the number of gold medals, but it must be acknowledged that we missed out on three to four gold medals," Director of Sports Authority of Vietnam Nguyễn Danh Hoàng Việt said.

"We must look directly at the failures, the regrettable things, the things we haven't achieved, find the causes and propose solutions to overcome them, and avoid repeating them in order to succeed in the future." 

The athletics team at the awarding ceremony on December 26 in Hà Nội. Photo courtesy of VietContent

Sharing the same view, Hoàng Vệ Dũng, President of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, admitted that there were many events in which the team "should have done better" and "in some events, they could earn gold medals if they had been more determined and had a more reasonable strategy".

"We need to research and analyse the capabilities of each athlete, boldly rejuvenate the force, and invest specifically in athletes who show their potential to achieve high results. These activities aim for better achievements at the next SEA Games as well as continental and Olympic competitions," Dũng said.

Meanwhile Nguyễn Đức Nguyên, head of the team at the SEA Games, said: "It'd better to promote the application of science and technology in training and competition while simultaneously implementing standardised entry requirements for athlete selection."

He added that overseas Vietnamese athletes would be a potential source for Việt Nam to improve its quality and international results. — VNS