Boxer Nguyễn Thị Tâm (left) seen during training in Hà Nội. VNS Photo Lương Thu Hương

Olympics

HÀ NỘI — Boxer Nguyễn Thị Tâm is expected to earn a ticket to compete in the women’s 51kg category at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Tâm looks set to be headed to Tokyo thanks to racking up 190 points in tournaments organised by the World Boxing Federation (WBF).

"The WBF has not officially announced that Tâm has won a place in Tokyo. However, it is almost certain that she will because at this time she has the highest cumulative score in the remaining group of athletes who will be considered after the official slots are available,” Vũ Đức Thịnh, head of boxing section of the National Sports Administration told Việt Nam News yesterday.

Thịnh said early next month, the International Olympics Committee will announce all boxers that have qualified for the Tokyo event.

Currently, Tâm belongs to the Hà Nội female boxing team and would be the first Vietnamese woman boxer to compete at an Olympics.

Tâm is Viet Nam's No 1 boxer in the 51kg class and is the national defending champion and defending SEA Games champion in this weight category.

The Thái Bình-native girl won an Asian gold medal in 2017, the first gold medal for Vietnamese women's boxing in this event.

Women's boxing became an Olympic event in London 2012. Lừu Thị Duyên reached the final qualifying round in 2016 but failed to make it to the Rio Games.

Previously, male boxer Nguyễn Văn Đương qualified for the Tokyo Olmypics. — VNS