Meet the Southeast Asian karate champion.

In August 2020, Kim Tien was selected for the Kien Giang province's karate talent team after finishing primary school. Two years later, she proved her talent by winning a silver medal at the 2022 National Youth Karate Championship. A year after that, Kim Tien won a bronze medal at the 2023 National Youth Karate Championship and a silver medal at the 2023 National Strong Clubs Championship...

Recently, Kim Tien surprised fans by winning the gold medal in the women's kumite (sparring) category over 61kg at the 2024 Southeast Asian Karate Championships in Thailand at the end of April.

Champion Huynh Kim Tien (center) receives the gold medal at the 2024 Southeast Asian Karate Championships in Thailand.

The 2024 Southeast Asian Karate Championship featured over 400 athletes from 11 countries in the region, with Kim Tien being the only and first athlete from Kien Giang to participate. Kim Tien stated: “I am happy and emotional to have won the gold medal. Winning the gold medal at this competition is both a great success and a stepping stone for me to continue striving and training hard.”

According to Kim Tien, to achieve success in karate, in addition to dedicated training and strictly adhering to the coach's training plan, she also researched and learned effective attack and defense techniques from athletes around the world ; she honed her composure, self-confidence, and calmness in all situations so that she could read and anticipate her opponent's moves.

"I like karate for its speed because in just a split second, if you strike at the right moment, your opponent will lose their reflexes, allowing you to score a perfect point. Additionally, the strategy of luring your opponent into your style of play is also a great aspect of this sport," Kim Tien said.

After winning the Southeast Asian Karate Championship, Kim Tien joined the national youth karate team at the National Sports Training Center in Ho Chi Minh City. She and her team and coach are focusing on the next important tournaments, especially the Asian Youth Karate Championship in the Philippines.

Coach Ho Thanh Lac of the Kien Giang Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center's karate youth team said: "Kim Tien joined the karate talent team with absolutely no knowledge of the sport. However, she impressed the selection committee with many outstanding advantages, from basic physical strength to body shape… After being introduced to karate, Tien showed talent and learned quickly, so in just under two years of training, she won her first silver medal at the 2022 National Youth Karate Championship."

Karate coaches at the Ho Chi Minh City National Sports Training Center highly appreciate Kim Tien's excellent hand and foot skills, allowing her to proactively surprise opponents with unexpected timing to score points. After scoring, she flexibly switches from offense to quick counter-attacks, drawing opponents into her tactics... In training and competition, Kim Tien is serious and demonstrates the highest level of skill and determination to win.

According to Nguyen Quoc Vinh, Director of the Kien Giang Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center, Kim Tien was trained under a joint program between the province and the National Sports Training Center in Ho Chi Minh City. She showed early talent and achieved many impressive results. Along with many other athletes from the province, Kim Tien is expected to excel at national competitions, especially the 2026 National Sports Games and higher-level tournaments…

Text and photos: TRUNG HIẾU

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