HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese marksman Hoàng Xuân Vinh is listed as one of the eight athletes to watch out for at the 29th Southeast Asian Games which will officially kick off on Saturday.

Singapore’s The Straits Times newspaper has picked four Singaporean and four from other countries, who “are likely to make waves at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur”. Vinh is at No 6 position.

The newspaper reported that the 42-year-old Vinh can be considered Việt Nam’s version of Joseph Schooling. Vinh clinched Việt Nam’s first Olympic gold medal in Rio 2016 and set an Olympic record in the process with a score of 202.5.

Vinh is also Việt Nam’s only double Olympic medallist, winning a silver in the men’s 50m pistol in Brazil.

Vinh will compete in the 10m and 50m pistol events which take place from August 21 to August 26 at the National Shooting Range Centre in Subang.

The four Singaporeans are swimmer Schooling of Singapore, runner Veronica Shanti Pereira, table tennis player Feng Tianwei and bowling player Jazreel Tan.

Three other athletes are cyclist Azizulhasni Awang of the hosts, weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan from Indonesia and badminton player of Busanan Ongbamrungphan Thailand.

The Straits Times mentioned no footballer in its list but goal.com did.

The football prestigious website counted 10 players to watch out this August. Two of them are from Việt Nam.

The first one is striker Nguyễn Công Phượng who has been dubbed ‘Messi of Việt Nam’ since he was with the U-19 squad three years ago.

Goal.com wrote: “Predominantly deployed from the left of the attacking midfield side, Phượng has fantastic dribbling skills that will trouble defences.”

Vietnamese midfielder Lương Xuân Trường is appreciated by goal.com. — Photo goal.com

The second player is midfielder Lương Xuân Trường.

“The 22-year-old is one of those rare ones who plays in a league outside of his own country. Gangwon FC in South Korea is where Trường plies his trade and that itself is a big indication how talented this midfielder is. Playing in centre of midfield, Trường’s task is more to ensure his defence doesn’t get breached past but such is his abilities, he’s also proficient in his passing that could set Vietnam up on quick counter attacks,” the website reported.

Other players are Chaowat Veerachat, Ratthanakorn Maikami and Sittichok Kanoo of Thailand, Irfan Zakaria, Syafiq Ahmad and Adam Nor Azlin of the hosts and Evan Dimas and Hansamu Yama from Indonesia.

Striker Nguyễn Công Phượng is selected as a footballer to look out by different sport websites. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Khánh

Phượng is also highlighted by Thailand’s Siam Sports as SEA Games’ top five footballers. While Panditfootball.com of Indonesia also warns teams to keep an eye on the Vietnamese forward.

Phượng has netted one goal in this Games in Việt Nam’s 4-0 win over East Timor on Tuesday. — VNS