Dong Thap's sepak takraw team reaches the world stage.

Updated on: 02/02/2025 10:16:15

Dong Thap province's high-performance sports in 2024 achieved many impressive results from national to international competitions. Taking advantage of the opportunity to compete with the Vietnamese national team in the Asian and World Championships, Dong Thap sepak takraw athletes, with their burning desire for victory and strong competitive spirit, brought home many prestigious medals.

Sepak Takraw player Pham Thi To Nguyen performed excellently at the 11th World Sepak Takraw Championship in 2024 (Photo: Contributor)

The mettle of the current world champions.

When it comes to sepak takraw, fans in Dong Thap immediately think of a sport considered a "gold mine" for the province's high-performance sports. With the province's vision and investment, and the tireless enthusiasm and efforts of the coaching staff and athletes, 2024 deserves to be considered a "victory" year for Dong Thap sepak takraw, conquering glory from continental to world arenas.

Perhaps the most unforgettable moment for sports fans in the province was when the "golden sepak takraw players": Pham Thi To Nguyen, Ho Phuoc Sang, and Nguyen Thi Bich Tram stepped onto the podium to receive their gold medals at the 11th World Sepak Takraw Championship in late October 2024. The Vietnamese flag fluttered proudly, and the majestic Vietnamese national anthem resounded at the Tianjin Olympic Sports Center (China), filling the hearts of sports fans in the "Land of Lotus" with happiness and pride. Throughout their journey to the podium, To Nguyen, Phuoc Sang, and Bich Tram all demonstrated the prowess of reigning world champions.

To win the gold medal in the men's singles – the most fiercely contested event of the tournament – ​​athlete Ho Phuoc Sang displayed outstanding form, overcoming strong opponents from Hong Kong, Macau, and Mongolia in the group stage, and then defeating the Chinese representative in the semi-finals. In the final, a "re-match" against the Hong Kong athlete, Phuoc Sang showed peak performance with powerful cross-court and sideline serves, winning convincingly 2-0 (set scores were 21/5, 21/15). This is the third consecutive time Phuoc Sang has won the world championship (in 2017, 2019, and 2024) in the men's singles event, confirming the strength of the world's number one male badminton player. While Phuoc Sang dominated the men's singles event, To Nguyen also proved herself worthy of the "queen" title in the women's singles event. On the court of the Tianjin Olympic Sports Center, Tuo Yuan, with his outstanding performance, maintained a perfect winning record from the group stage to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and overwhelmingly defeated the host country's representative, China, 2-0 in the gold medal match (score 21/10, 21/9).

Unlike her two compatriots, Nguyen Thi Bich Tram's gold medal in the women's team of four came about in a thrilling manner. After easily advancing through the group stage to the final, the Vietnamese sepak takraw team faced a major challenge from the home team's athletes. With her composure and over 10 years of international competition experience, Bich Tram was an "inspiration" that helped her teammates confidently compete against their opponents in every rallies. The 1997-born sepak takraw player also repeatedly "neutralized" strong attacks from the Chinese players thanks to her superb defensive skills. It was Bich Tram's crucial points that created the excitement for the Vietnamese women's sepak takraw players to overcome the pressure from the stands and win a dramatic victory. In addition to the gold medal in the women's team of three, Bich Tram also won a silver and a bronze medal in the women's team of three and women's doubles events. The achievements of the Đồng Tháp sepak takraw players, including 4 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal, greatly contributed to the Vietnamese sepak takraw team winning first place overall with 6 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal.

Athletes and coaches from Dong Thap province celebrate winning numerous world gold medals in sepak takraw (Photo: Contributor)

A mark in the national team's colors.

Before winning the world championship, To Nguyen, Bich Tram, and Phuoc Sang made their mark at the 2024 Asian Sepak Takraw Championship, hosted by Vietnam in August 2024. After five days of exciting competition at the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Sports Arena, the trio from Dong Thap brought home 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal for the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw team. Not to be outdone by their seniors, young talent Nguyen Thi Tu Anh from Dong Thap also performed excellently at the 2024 Asian Youth Sepak Takraw Championship. Tu Anh maximized her powerful attacking skills, becoming the "key" to victory for the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw team in both the women's doubles and women's team events. Tu Anh personally achieved a "double" championship in her first appearance at the continental competition.

The achievements of the athletes from Dong Thap province contributed significantly to the Vietnamese sepak takraw team winning first place overall at the 2024 Asian Sepak Takraw Championship and Asian Youth Sepak Takraw Championship with 8 gold medals and 6 silver medals (China ranked second with 3 gold medals and 6 silver medals; Hong Kong ranked third with 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals). Young athlete Nguyen Thi Tu Anh shared her joy and pride: “In the new year, I will continue to strive to improve my skills and techniques to compete better. The road ahead is long and full of challenges, but the achievements at the continental arena with the Vietnamese youth sepak takraw team are the motivation for me to constantly train hard and nurture my passion for sepak takraw.” Sharing her feelings after the successes in the "Year of the Dragon," athlete Nguyen Thi Bich Tram said: "This is a very special year for me, because my efforts and hard work in training and competition have been rewarded with achievements exceeding expectations. The gold medals I have won are not just personal achievements, but also a source of honor and pride as I have contributed to the nation and my hometown of Dong Thap."

Overcoming difficulties and challenges, the sepak takraw players from Dong Thap province have contributed 7 gold medals and 2 silver medals to the Vietnamese national sepak takraw team at international tournaments, helping to promote the image of the "Land of Lotus" to the continent and the world. "The achievements of the province's sepak takraw players are an inspiration for coaches and athletes in Dong Thap's leading sports to actively train and compete with high determination in 2025, laying the groundwork for a strong team to participate in the 2026 National Sports Games and achieve the best possible results," said Mr. Truong Ly Duy Sinh, Principal of the Provincial High School for Gifted Students, Training and Competition in Sports, with enthusiasm.

Highly praising the performance of the Đồng Tháp players, Mr. Đào Thái Hoàng Phúc - Head Coach of the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw Team, emphasized: “2024 ended with resounding success for the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw Team. In this journey to achieve such a feat, besides the consistent skill of the athletes, the representatives of Đồng Tháp sepak takraw have left their mark on the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw Team's quest to conquer the Asian and World championships. I hope athletes like Phước Sang, Tố Nguyên, Bích Trăm, and Tú Anh will maintain their stable performance and continue to contribute more to the nation in the coming years...”

Phuoc Loc

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/the-thao/da-cau-dong-thap-vuon-xa-the-gioi-128975.aspx