Boxing

Lê Thị Bằng lands a punch on her rival in her return match to boxing on April 19 in HCM City. VNS Photos Ngọc Linh

Thanh Hà

She may look skinny, gentle, soft, and beautiful, but behind that elegant appearance is the resilient Lê Thị Bằng, who has returned to the ring after nearly a decade in retirement with a brilliant victory.

At 34, the former national No. 1 faced little resistance as she defeated youngster Nguyễn Lê Tuyết Nhi in the women’s super bantamweight (55.2kg) class at Trigger Promotion 7, a professional boxing event held on April 19 in HCM City.

The former SEA Games champion demonstrated her superior technical ability, controlling the pace of the match with agile movement, maintaining a measured distance and consistently landing precise combinations of punches.

Lê Thị Bằng looks confident ahead of her match, eight years after her retirement.

Despite her efforts, Nhi was unable to mount a sustained response but attempted to hold her ground. After absorbing a series of heavy punches, her coaching team threw in the towel at the end of the second round.

The technical knockout marked a strong restart for Bằng, who is now targeting a professional boxing career.

Road to boxing

Born in Hưng Yên Province, Bằng initially aspired to become a volleyball player. However, as a left-handed athlete, she struggled to adapt to her teammates, which ultimately led to her being dropped from the team.

Her physique was later deemed suitable for boxing and she switched to a new discipline that would become her true passion.

Lê Thị Bằng has to quit boxing because of injuries. VNS Photo Ngọc Linh

After a year of intensive training and competition, the 15-year-old was called up to the national youth squad in 2008 and later progressed to the senior national team.

"Success doesn't come naturally," Bằng said.

"I had to work very hard and overcome many difficulties to pursue my passion for martial arts. I had to cycle dozens of kilometres to the provincial sports centre for training. I saved every penny to support myself and my family. The intense desire to escape a life of hard labour and help my parents ease their burden was a huge motivation that helped me overcome challenges."

The multiple-time national champion’s best results include a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea and a gold medal at the 28th SEA Games a year later in Singapore, achievements that helped her reach world No. 6 in the women’s 51kg category.

Lê Thị Bằng celebrates after winning a gold in the 28th SEA Games in 2015. VNS Photo

The achievement led many to believe she would continue to progress and bring home further victories. However, Bằng later suffered a right knee injury and a herniated disc, which forced her into unexpected early retirement in 2018.

"I regretted deciding because I was still passionate about boxing. However, due to worsening injuries and insufficient funds for treatment, I had to stop," Bằng said.

This prompted Bằng to start a business for a living while remaining closely connected to the sport. She joined the coaching board at a boxing club in HCM City and studied at the Sports Management Department at HCM City University of Physical Education and Sports to further develop herself and prepare for her future career.

"Although my athletic career didn't end well, I remain passionate about boxing and hope to help develop the sport in the city in particular and Việt Nam in general," Bằng said.

Back in action

After eight years away from competition, her decision to return to the ring surprised many, with some describing it as a bold move, but Bằng remained confident.

Lê Thị Bằng decided to play boxing again in 2025 and spent almost a year for her comeback.

“I only decided to return to boxing training at the end of 2025. To regain my form and competitive feel, I train intensively for about two to three hours a day, depending on the coaches’ plan,” Bằng said.

“Now that I am in my 30s, I know my body will not recover as quickly as it did when I was younger. But I have accumulated more knowledge and experience, especially in nutrition and post-training recovery, to reach the best possible condition.

“I believe I will be able to perform well again, maybe not 100 per cent like when I was at my peak, but at least 80 to 90 per cent.”

Lê Thị Bằng pockets an easy win although she hasn't fought for eight years.

Initially, Bằng had been scheduled to face Magdalyn Menjawi of Papua New Guinea, but she was unable to travel to Việt Nam due to documentation issues. Nguyễn Lê Tuyết Nhi stepped in as a replacement but proved to be an uneven match for Bằng.

"I was a little sad because I couldn't compete against a foreign boxer as expected. I hope that in the next match, I will be able to face a famous and world-ranked international boxer to prove my ability as well as the position of Vietnamese boxing." — VNS