The journey of Vietnamese pride

VHO - The 33rd SEA Games entered its third day of official competition. After the opening ceremony, on the racetracks, mats, and arenas, there were radiant smiles mixed with sweat and tears, silent moments that were powerful enough to move the hearts of fans.

Nguyen Thi Phuong, Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Bui Ngoc Nhi, and Hoang Thi Thu Uyen won the gold medal in Karate (women's team Kata). Photo: QUY LUONG

The Vietnamese sports delegation continues its "gold medal hunt" with the spirit of "will in mind, fire in heart," as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh advised before departure. This is not just a message, but a command from the heart, a reminder of the national flag and the sacred responsibility of each athlete when stepping onto the regional arena.

Tears of happiness

The first gold medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation at this year's SEA Games came from two girls who share the same name, Huong: Nguyen Thi Huong and Diep Thi Huong.

"Song Huong" is like a perfect puzzle piece made from their hometown of Vinh Phuc (now Phu Tho province), the place that nurtured their love for the water and is one of the cradles of Vietnamese canoeing. They trained together, grew up together, went through the difficult stages of the national team, and then stood together on the podium of glory, where the red flag with a yellow star was raised under the Bangkok sky (Thailand).

Nguyen Thi Huong, the rower who made history by becoming the first Vietnamese canoeing athlete to qualify for the Olympics, burst into tears when the national anthem played at the regional competition. Four years of waiting to compete again at the SEA Games, four years of waiting for the moment to raise the national flag to the highest position.

“At that moment, tears welled up in my eyes. Pride, emotion… so many feelings flooded in at once,” Nguyen Thi Huong shared. That pure emotion encapsulated the entire youth of a female athlete dedicated to national sports, to the burning desire to proudly wear the Vietnamese flag on the international stage.

Proud yet challenging, Taekwondo fighter Nguyen Xuan Thanh's first SEA Games appearance has become an unforgettable sweet memory. The gold medal in the creative poomsae (forms) event was not just an achievement, but also a courageous response after the team missed out on a gold medal earlier due to a controversial referee decision. When the performance ended and his teammates embraced, Thanh wept.

“It was an emotion I had never experienced before. When the national flag was raised and we sang the national anthem, I was so choked up I couldn't speak. I was proud to be Vietnamese,” Thanh said, his voice still trembling. A young man, wearing the national team's jersey for the first time at the SEA Games, had fully experienced the sacred feeling of the word “Homeland.”

Resilient warriors

On the emotional afternoon of December 11th, the women's karate team, consisting of Nguyen Thi Phuong, Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Bui Ngoc Nhi, and Hoang Thi Thu Uyen, won the first gold medal for Vietnamese karate. On the medal podium, Phuong and Tram couldn't hide their emotions. They had previously won gold at the Asian Games and were accustomed to fierce competitions, but each time the national anthem played at the SEA Games, their hearts trembled with renewed pride.

Nguyen Thi Phuong shared: “Sports have given me so much. When I achieve success, my parents and family are proud. That helps me overcome injuries and get through difficult times in training.”

For this petite yet strong girl, each medal is not only a recognition of her efforts but also a gift to her family, who have always silently followed her every step in the competition. After the SEA Games ended, Phuong promised to buy gifts for her parents, so that this Tet holiday they could sit together around the family dinner table, their hearts at peace after months of hard work.

Nguyen Ngoc Tram, the girl who once cried sleeplessly after spraining her ankle on her first day on the national team, is now different, more mature, and confidently speaks English when interacting with international friends. This SEA Games not only gave Tram a medal, but also gave her a journey of growing up with sports, growing up with the pride of wearing the Vietnamese national team jersey.

This Tet holiday, Tram will also be going home. The same fire still burns within her, but it shines even brighter in the eyes of a young woman who has just spent months giving her all in the Southeast Asian arena.

The 33rd SEA Games have only just begun, but each medal, each tear, each smile of the athletes has become a beautiful story about patriotism, pride, and the aspiration to excel of the Vietnamese people. It embodies the Vietnamese spirit – perseverance and resilience; the Vietnamese will – never to retreat; and the Vietnamese pride – shining brightly in the moment the national anthem resounds in the international arena.

When athletes place their hands on their chests, where their hearts beat beneath the red flag with a yellow star, it's not just a ritual, but an affirmation: We compete not only for ourselves, but for our country. And it is they, through their efforts and their simple yet moving everyday stories, who are continuing to write the beautiful journey of Vietnamese sports at the 33rd SEA Games.

The journey is still long, but the flame has been lit. And that flame, whenever the national anthem is played, will shine brightly in the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/hanh-trinh-cua-niem-tu-hao-viet-nam-187722.html