Starting from zero
In early spring of the Year of the Horse 2026, recalling the journey of establishing the women's boxing discipline at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center (Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports), Head of Department Nguyen Nhu Cuong simply concluded that it was the result of a decisive direction from Hanoi's sports leadership.
More than 20 years ago, specifically in 2004, the Hanoi women's boxing team was established by the Hanoi Department of Physical Education and Sports (now the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports). At that time, the Director of the Department, Mr. Hoang Vinh Giang – the "architect" of Hanoi's sports with his approach of "taking shortcuts, anticipating trends, and prioritizing women" – decided to build a women's boxing team. The creation of this sport was part of that long-term development strategy.
At that time, boxing was just starting to develop again in Vietnam, while not many countries in the continent or around the world were investing in women's boxing. Domestically, no locality had focused on developing this sport, and Hanoi was the pioneering unit.
Women's boxing in Hanoi faced numerous difficulties in its early days, particularly in athlete selection. According to Nguyen Nhu Cuong, head of the boxing department at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, the biggest obstacle lay in societal attitudes: the belief that girls who practice boxing will become masculine made it very difficult for coaches to convince families to let their daughters train. Furthermore, the frequent broadcasts of professional boxing matches with their "fierce" nature on television further deterred many parents, even though amateur boxing is actually much safer than professional boxing.
Facing difficulties in finding initial talent, coaches proactively recruited from other sports. Many of the first generation of athletes came from the wushu (sanshou) discipline, such as Dinh Thi Phuong Thanh, Ngo Thi Chung, Nguyen Thi Chien, Le Thi Ngan Hang, etc.
At that time, coaches hoped that international achievements would provide a boost to the selection process. Reality proved this approach correct: Hanoi athletes in the national team consecutively won medals at the 2005 and 2007 SEA Games. The real turning point came at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games held in Vietnam. At this tournament, boxer Ngo Thi Phuong won the gold medal for the Vietnamese team – the most outstanding achievement of Vietnamese boxing on the international stage at that time.
From there, the coaches boldly expanded their selection process across the northern provinces, thereby discovering and introducing many promising talents for Vietnamese boxing and national sports such as Ha Thi Linh, Nguyen Thi Tam, Nguyen Thi Yen... Among them, Ha Thi Linh, Nguyen Thi Tam, and Nguyen Thi Yen have all won SEA Games championships. Nguyen Thi Tam, in particular, has won the Asian championship twice (2017, 2022), was the world runner-up in 2023, and qualified for the 2021 Olympics.
In addition, veteran boxer Ha Thi Linh continues to dedicate herself to women's boxing in Hanoi and the national team. Most recently, she won Vietnam's only gold medal in boxing at the 33rd SEA Games. Before that, Ha Thi Linh won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics...
Step forward
Looking back on the more than 20-year journey of boxing becoming a leading sport in Hanoi, Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Head of the Boxing Department at the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, said that behind the medals are many touching stories about love for the profession, passion, and the desire to contribute of coaches, athletes, and foreign experts.
This is the story of boxer Ha Thi Linh – a mother of two who still maintains peak performance and achievements, becoming an inspiration for many young athletes. Or the case of leading Thai boxing expert Tawan Mungphingklang, who accepted a lower salary than offers from many other countries to stay with Hanoi boxing. He stayed because he saw the passion and potential in the capital's athletes. His desire to make his mark professionally has been reciprocated by his students with a series of international achievements and maintaining the top position overall at national championships.
However, professionals understand that they cannot be complacent with the present. According to Dai Dang Hy, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, although women's boxing is one of Hanoi's strong sports, it still has many big goals ahead, starting with the 2026 Asian Games and further afield, a ticket to the 2028 Olympics.
From the athletes' perspective, Ha Thi Linh affirmed that Hanoi's current incentive policies are sufficient to allow athletes to train and dedicate themselves with peace of mind. Therefore, the athletes are even more aware of their responsibility to maintain and enhance the sport's standing.
According to Head of Department Nguyen Nhu Cuong, following the achievements already made, the selection of athletes has become easier, creating conditions for the formation of many generations of quality athletes, continuing to contribute achievements to Vietnamese sports in general and Hanoi sports in particular.
That was also the heartfelt wish of those who placed their faith in Hanoi's female boxers more than 20 years ago. And today, reality has proven that Hanoi's sports authorities' decision to invest in women's boxing was a correct, visionary choice that brings lasting value.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/boxing-nu-ha-noi-vuon-tam-tu-mot-lua-chon-chien-luoc-736863.html
Comment (0)