The S'tieng girl and her "golden season" of Vovinam.
In the Vietnamese sports scene at the end of 2025, the name Thi Lai, an 18-year-old girl from the S'tieng ethnic group (Dong Nai province), has become one of the most prominent ethnic minority athletes. Lai is the youngest daughter in an ethnic minority family. She developed a passion for Vovinam martial arts from a young age. Initially, she practiced only for health, but the more she practiced, the more passionate and dedicated she became to the sport. In 2020, at the age of 13, she was selected for the national team, officially embarking on her professional competitive career.
In the early days of training with the national team and having to travel far from home, missing her family was always a constant feeling. Lai once shared that she frequently called her mother, and that the encouragement from her family became a strong source of emotional support, helping the young girl overcome the arduous training period.
The real turning point came in 2020, when Thi Lai represented Binh Phuoc (formerly) for the first time at the National Youth Vovinam Championship. Due to her lack of experience in major competitions and her young age, Thi Lai was eliminated early. However, the coaching staff were not disappointed; they saw in the young girl a rare will and the potential to break through in the future. The turning point came in 2022, when Lai stepped onto the highest podium at the National Youth Vovinam Championship, marking the beginning of her undefeated run in subsequent major tournaments.
In 2024, the S'tieng girl continued to make a name for herself by simultaneously winning the youth championship, the national championship, and the Asian championship. Notably, at the 2024 National Vovinam Championship, she had a dramatic match against the reigning SEA Games 32 champion, Do Phuong Thao, to bring home the gold medal for Binh Phuoc (formerly) after many years of waiting. From this, Thi Lai was officially called up to the national Vovinam team.
Thi Lai quickly became a formidable opponent in the national Vovinam sparring scene. When mentioning Lai, the image that comes to mind is that of a strong woman with a height of 1.72m, weighing around 66kg, possessing a resilient, flexible, and healthy physique, along with an intelligent fighting style.
The fruits of that persistent and passionate training were three Gold Medals in 2025, including a Gold Medal at the World Vovinam Championship in Indonesia, a significant milestone that brought the image of Vietnamese martial artists to the international stage.
The image shows Thi Lai (in the navy blue shirt, standing on the podium) who won the Gold Medal at the World Vovinam Championship in Indonesia. (Source: Dong Nai Sports Training and Competition Center)
Lài's journey to the pinnacle of sports was far from easy. From grueling training sessions to the pressures of professional competition, this S'tiêng girl always maintained an iron will and determination to overcome difficulties. Not only did she win national championships, but Lài also claimed youth and Asian championship titles the previous year, demonstrating remarkable progress season after season.
Thi Lai's image emerges as a shining symbol of perseverance and a spirit of striving, from a sports-loving girl in her village to a world champion in her twenties. This success is not only a source of pride for her but also a powerful inspiration for young ethnic minority generations across Vietnam, affirming that there are no limits to achieving one's dreams.
Thai ethnic "hitter" shines on the international stage.
Besides the success of Thi Lai, the story of Vi Thi Nhu Quynh, a female athlete of the Thai ethnic group (from Nghe An province), is a clear example of the efforts and aspirations to reach the pinnacle of sports.
Born in 2002 in Tuong Duong (Nghe An province), Nhu Quynh started playing volleyball much later than many of her peers, beginning formal training at the age of 15. Despite this, she overcame many obstacles to become an outstanding member of the Vietnamese women's national volleyball team.
From the very beginning of her training, Nhu Quynh displayed exceptional qualities, not only in her physical strength but also in her focus, progressive spirit, and serious attitude towards even the smallest exercises. She always believed that success doesn't come from luck but is built on sweat, perseverance, and iron discipline day after day.
Throughout her career, Nhu Quynh faced challenges. At approximately 1.75 meters tall, she is relatively short for a female volleyball player. However, Nhu Quynh has proven her innate talent, unwavering will, and remarkable adaptability, consistently achieving impressive successes at both the club and national levels. She always learns to listen to her body, adjust her mindset, and continuously improve herself, viewing each difficulty as a valuable lesson for personal and professional growth.
In 2024, veteran volleyball player Nguyen Linh Chi also commented on Nhu Quynh as follows: “Vi Thi Nhu Quynh is the domestic player who impressed me the most in the first phase. This player alone accounted for more than 50% of the Quang Ninh team's attacks. Despite her young age, Nhu Quynh plays well, possessing powerful and very fast low spikes at the net.”
Vi Thi Nhu Quynh, a female athlete of the Thai ethnic group, is a clear example of overcoming difficulties and aspiring to reach the pinnacle of sports.
(Source: Sports 247)
Throughout her career, Vi Thi Nhu Quynh has been a familiar face and increasingly affirmed her key position in the Vietnamese women's volleyball team. For several years now, Nhu Quynh has been part of the youth teams and has consistently earned the trust of the coaches. In the last two years, Nhu Quynh has made significant contributions to a series of historic achievements for Vietnamese women's volleyball. These include: winning the AVC Challenge Cup; finishing 3rd in the FIVB Challenger Cup; reaching the top 4 in the Asian Championships and ASIAD 19; and most notably, securing a historic ticket to the 2025 World Cup.
What makes Nhu Quynh so highly regarded is not only her competitive achievements but also her sportsmanship, humility in victory, and resilience in defeat. She always portrays the image of a confident but not complacent Vietnamese athlete, fierce yet respectful of her opponents and with a pure love for sports. In training, Nhu Quynh is known for her seriousness and never slackening in discipline. She understands that behind every moment of brilliance on the field are thousands of hours of silent training, the sacrifice of personal time, youth, and sometimes even the simple joys of everyday life.
For the younger generation, Vi Thi Nhu Quynh's story holds a powerful inspirational meaning, because she doesn't represent a path paved with roses, but rather a true image of someone who dares to dream, dares to pursue, and dares to pay the price for that dream. Through this, she affirms that starting point doesn't determine the ultimate limit if a person has enough effort and belief. Besides her role as an athlete, Nhu Quynh is also seen as a role model for a positive lifestyle, always maintaining a proper attitude towards the media, appreciating the support of her fans, and clearly understanding her responsibility to the image of national sports.
In the context of Vietnam's sports gradually integrating more deeply with the region and the world, figures like Thi Lai and Vi Thi Nhu Quynh are vivid examples of a new generation of athletes who possess expertise, courage, and a desire to reach new heights, ready to face the pressure of competition to affirm Vietnam's position on the world and regional sports map.
Athletes from ethnic minority groups are not only the pride of their localities and villages, but also a valuable asset to national sports. Their emergence and success provide further impetus for the sports sector to focus on developing talent in all regions and communities. This is an important step in making Vietnamese sports more comprehensive, not only concentrated in large cities but also expanding to remote and rural areas.
Identifying, training, and supporting talented athletes from an early age, especially in disadvantaged areas, will contribute to enriching the national athlete pool and create equal opportunities for all those passionate about sports.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/hanh-trinh-toa-sang-cua-nhung-van-dong-vien-dan-toc-thieu-so-viet-nam.html
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