Vietnamese boxer Nguyễn Thị Tâm (left) lands a punch on Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan in the semi-final match in the women's 51kg category at the 20th ASIAD on September 30 in Japan. Photos courtesy of SAV

NAGOYA — Nguyễn Thị Tâm is looking to mark another milestone for Vietnamese boxing as she goes for gold in the women’s 51kg final at the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD) on October 2 in Japan.

By making it to the final and securing at least second place, the 32-year-old Tâm has already become the most decorated boxer in Vietnamese history.

On September 29, Tâm defeated reigning world champion Alua Balkibekova of Kazakhstan 5-0 in the semi-final match.

Tâm was emotional when she spoke with reporters after her historic achievement.

"I have been really lucky in this tournament, winning comfortably from the first match up to now," she said.

"This is my first international tournament after three years of struggle due to an injury. I was a little nervous and worried at first. But the more I fight, the more confident I am. I'm making a great effort every match and I'm determined to earn the highest result.

"Balkibekova is strong, but after analysing her, I found that she is slower than me, and I am also taller. I waited for her attacks and then started my counter-attack, using my strong hooks and jabs to hit her. My confident mindset also really supported me in this match."

Last minute slot

Tâm's career nearly ended after she suffered a serious injury at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023. She had a complete tear of the left anterior cruciate ligament. The severe injury at age 30 forced her to face a long recovery period, and many people thought she might not come back.

However, she not only returned to the ring, but also proved her mettle, winning national championship titles in 2025 and 2026. Although she didn't compete internationally in the last three years, she was a multiple SEA Games champion and the 2023 world championship silver medallist.

Nguyễn Thị Tâm is announced as the winner of the semi-final match. She will face Wu Yu of China in the final.

That strong background gave Tâm the recognition she needed to get her name added to the list for Việt Nam’s ASIAD delegation at the last minute.

"Not being able to wear the national team jersey was painful. Not being able to fight for the country was even more painful. But I didn't stop. That disappointment forced me to practise harder for my comeback. I set the Asian Games as my top goal," Tâm said.

"It is also my promise to my late father, who really worried if I could come back after such an injury. I told him I would definitely return to the ring and be an even stronger boxer. This tournament will be my answer to everyone who believed in and supported me."

At the multi-sport Asian Games in Japan, Tâm defeated Shrestha Ramisha of Nepal in the first round, Guo Yi-xuan of Chinese Taipei in the second round and Bak Chorong of South Korea in the quarter-finals.

The semi-final win over Balkibekova earned Tâm a personal best as well as a historic achievement for Việt Nam.

Until this year, Vietnamese boxers have only won bronze medals at ASIAD. They include Lê Thị Bằng in the women's 51kg and Lừu Thị Duyên in the women's 60kg in 2014, Tâm in the women's 51kg in 2023 and Lưu Diễm Quỳnh in the women's 75kg in 2023 and 2026.

Mountain ahead

In the gold medal match, Tâm will go up against Wu Yu of China, who is the last and biggest obstacle for Tâm to top the podium.

Wu, 31, is a top candidate for the title, as she is a former world and reigning Olympic champion, the Asian and ASIAD defending champion and the world No. 1 seed.

The Chinese fighter owns an impressive record of 35 wins and four losses across 39 bouts.

She is an orthodox-style boxer whose good footwork allows her to control the distance and edge out opponents with rapid in-and-out movement. Wu relies on this movement as well as her clean counter-punching, and prefers to maintain spatial control rather than sitting back or forcing wild knockouts.

"I am in a good mood after the semi-final victory. The upcoming match will be tough, but I am determined to do my best to bring home glory," Tâm said. — VNS