The older the ginger, the spicier it is.

" OLD MAN" 56 YEARS OLD

Chess player Hoang Nam Thang (born November 12, 1969) is recognized as the oldest athlete of the Vietnamese sports delegation participating in the 33rd SEA Games. This athlete competed in the Maruk men's rapid chess team and the ASEAN men's rapid chess team. This veteran player said: "Thailand's Maruk chess is similar to Cambodia's Ouk Chaktrang chess that I participated in at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023. ASEAN chess is also based on chess, an intellectual sport that I have been involved in for the past 45 years, so I did not encounter many difficulties."

The 56-year-old chess player said that with chess, age does not affect the expertise too much, so athletes in this sport have a longer career than many other sports. At the 32nd SEA Games, player Hoang Nam Thang won a bronze medal in the individual Ouk Chaktrang chess event. In addition to competing in unusual events such as Ouk Chaktrang chess, Maruk chess, and ASEAN chess, this athlete also coaches chess and Go in Da Nang .

Gừng càng già càng cay- Ảnh 1. — Chess player Hoang Nam Thang *(left)* competes in SEA Games 33 at the age of 56

In the Vietnamese chess team participating in the 33rd SEA Games, there is another veteran, Dao Thien Hai. This 47-year-old player will compete in 4 events of Maruk and ASEAN chess. Dao Thien Hai is the first international Grandmaster of Vietnamese chess, achieving many successes in international tournaments. Recently, this player has focused on chess training and researched variations of this game such as Maruk, ASEAN chess or Ouk Chaktrang.

" BURN" OUT ALL OUT BEFORE RETIREMENT

Some veteran Vietnamese athletes consider the 33rd SEA Games as a milestone to say goodbye to their peak careers, so they are determined to achieve the highest results as a gift for their fans. At the age of 32, female wushu athlete Duong Thuy Vi has tasted the sweet fruits of her career when she was crowned at the World Championship (2013), ASIAD (2014), and SEA Games (6 gold medals).

While her peers retired one by one, Thuy Vi still stuck with wushu. There were times when she was injured or tired from training, which made the Hanoi female martial artist think about quitting, but her wushu career has followed her until now. "I decided to stop my career after the 33rd SEA Games, so I will dedicate my best to myself, my family and my fans," the Vietnamese wushu queen shared.

18 years ago at the 24th SEA Games (2007) in Thailand, fencer Nguyen Tien Nhat participated for the first time, contributing to bringing home the silver medal for Vietnamese fencing in the team. That was also a stepping stone for the HCM City fencer to develop, affirming his position as the number 1 in Southeast Asia in the 3-sided saber category. Full of emotions in his return to the SEA Games in Thailand, at the age of 35, Tien Nhat is expected to bring his experience to bear, serving as a spiritual support for his teammates towards the goal of defending the throne.

33-year-old tennis player Vu Thi Trang participated in the 24th SEA Games and this return is also the last SEA Games of her career. Badminton at the SEA Games is like a miniature world tournament with the participation of top tennis players from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, so the competition is very fierce. Before the 33rd SEA Games, she excellently won the women's singles event of the Vietnam International Series 2025 badminton tournament. From there, she promises to compete explosively and achieve good results at the upcoming SEA Games.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/gung-cang-gia-cang-cay-185251201224400939.htm