Vietnamese fencing generational transfer

SEA Games 33 is approaching. The Vietnamese Fencing team is also entering the final stage with high determination. The team's biggest goal is to win the Gold Medal, thereby continuing to maintain its position as one of Vietnam's key sports in the regional arena.

Swordsman at the ready

In recent years, Vietnamese fencing has made a strong impression with medals at the SEA Games and a number of international tournaments. This achievement is the result of a systematic investment process, along with the maturity of many generations of athletes. The force heading to the 33rd SEA Games is a combination of experienced fencers who have competed internationally many times and a generation of promising young athletes. This inheritance is expected to help the team achieve professional stability, at the same time creating a breakthrough at the next congress.

Vietnamese fencing is determined to win another gold medal at the congress with the next fencers.

During the preparation process, the team focused on improving techniques in many events while practicing tactics and competition psychology. Physical fitness was also emphasized with an in-depth training program, aiming to maintain stable performance in high-intensity matches. One of the important steps to build the force to participate in the SEA Games is the domestic tournament system. The 2025 National Fencing Championship, scheduled to take place next August, is considered an important selection round to determine the best athletes to be included in the final squad.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Dang, in charge of the fencing department of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, said: “We will carefully review the athletes’ performance, especially the key fencers. Through the tournament, the coaching staff will review the force to select the best team to compete at the 33rd SEA Games in December.” Previously, the 17th National Fencing Championship held in Hai Phong attracted hundreds of athletes from many localities across the country. The tournament created an attractive competitive atmosphere, contributing to discovering potential young faces, supplementing the national team.

Notably, the movement of training and competing in this expensive sport has been growing strongly in recent years. Typical is the birth of clubs, notably the Vietnam Royal Fencing Club (VRFC), founded by fencer Vu Thanh An. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese fencing to train the next generation of athletes, while spreading the spirit of sports to the community, especially the youth.

With a clear direction, a strong force and thorough preparation, the Vietnamese fencing team entered the 33rd SEA Games with the expectation of not only winning medals, but also aiming for the highest goal: the gold medal. The journey ahead is full of challenges, but determination, courage and the desire to win will be the driving force for the fencers to compete confidently, bringing the best results for the country's sports.

Who is expected to perform in the absence of Vu Thanh An?

Vu Thanh An’s absence from the SEA Games 33 fencing event is a loss for the Vietnamese Sports Delegation. But this is also a necessary generational transition. Young fencers like Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Xuan Loi and Phan Anh Duong are ready to step onto a bigger stage, with the desire to gain experience and assert their position in the national team.

One of the notable faces expected to replace Vu Thanh An is Nguyen Minh Quang. He was the fencer who scored the decisive point to help the men's fencing team win the historic gold medal at the 32nd SEA Games. Minh Quang also maintained good form in international competitions and achieved high rankings at the Asian Championship. His battle experience and competitive spirit helped Minh Quang become an important spearhead in Vietnam's journey towards the goal of winning medals.

Besides, the name Nguyen Xuan Loi is the next person that Vietnamese fencing hopes to make a breakthrough. In the absence of Vu Thanh An, the coaching staff has placed a lot of trust in him in the saber and saber events, having won gold medals at regional tournaments and maintained stable performance at Southeast Asian tournaments. With good technique and maturity in competition, Loi is considered an important factor in the country's rejuvenating fencing team.

Complementing this trio is the rising young fencer Phan Anh Duong. When the legendary Vu Thanh An did not participate in the 33rd SEA Games, the team "zoned" Anh Duong as one of the main successor factors. Although Duong's personal achievements are not as abundant as Minh Quang or Xuan Loi, the fact that he was selected for the SEA Games squad and trained is a sign that the coaching staff believes in the athlete's prospects. The 33rd SEA Games can be considered a suitable Congress for Anh Duong to accumulate experience and gradually assert himself in the regional arena.

The problem of concern

A few months ago, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - Head of the Fencing Department of the Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, had been struggling with a painful problem for 4 years. That is, the department could not purchase new swords despite always having a budget. According to regulations, the purchase of sports equipment must go through public bidding. Due to the specific nature of fencing, no unit has come forward to import equipment, because according to Mr. Tuan, the profit is low and the procedures are extremely complicated.

“Every time we have the opportunity to train or compete internationally, my teachers and students proactively buy additional equipment that is lacking, especially blades to replace the broken ones,” said Mr. Pham Anh Tuan. Although the swords for training and competition that Mr. Tuan and his students buy are “not as good” as the imported ones from France, they still overcome some difficulties, creating conditions for athletes to have enough equipment for training.

In addition, for broken swords, Mr. Tuan plays the role of a welder, directly re-splicing the sword and making full use of its function. "We have proposed many times to remove fencing equipment from the list of sports weapons, because the lethality of a sword in sports is even worse than that of scissors, but it has not been successful."

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/dau-kiem-viet-nam-chuyen-giao-the-he-i789041/