Happy, but also very worried...

The good news is that, although each SEA Games has some changes in a group of competition contents introduced by the host country, we still adapt in time and ensure the requirements for achievements. The 32nd SEA Games has left many beautiful images, victories that have gone down in history, making us cherish and proud.

The coaching staff has planned for Nguyen Huy Hoang (middle) to reach his peak form at ASIAD 19 in September.

With 4 gold medals at the congress, Nguyen Thi Oanh raised her total number of gold medals at the SEA Games to 12. But what made everyone admire this girl from Bac Giang, only 1.50 m tall and once had a period of glomerulonephritis, was that she won 2 gold medals at a distance of 1,500 m and then 3,000 m over obstacles when she had only an extremely short time to start at the next distance. That was the first gold medal of Vietnamese golf at the Southeast Asian Games, from the wonderful performance of Le Khanh Hung, a boy of only 15 years old. We are proud of the achievement of Nguyen Thuy Hien, nearly 14 years old, on the green track. Although it was only a bronze medal, for the girl who has now been nicknamed "Anh Vien version 2.0", it was an impressive start and promised to shine in the future.

Overview of SEA Games 32 on May 15: Vietnam women's team makes history | Thailand accelerates on the rankings

However, there are still concerns. From the results achieved and not achieved at SEA Games 32, we really need deeper analysis and experience for the upcoming major continental and world competitions. Because this is a SEA Games in which in terms of quantity, the Vietnamese sports delegation has secured the number 1 position, but in terms of quality, there are also many things to discuss. We have not set many SEA Games records (only 7 records, including a swimming record and 5 diving records), and records are always considered a sign of progress.

And very frankly, in an article, Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh, former Director of the Department of High Performance Sports of the Sports Committee (former name of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training), former Head of the Vietnamese sports delegation at many SEA Games, warned that at the 32nd SEA Games - athletics and swimming, our two key sports for the 19th ASIAD this coming September, have missed the gold medal target. According to Mr. Minh, that is not the best preparation for the ASIAD. At this SEA Games, despite the achievements of Nguyen Thi Oanh, after 2 consecutive congresses topping the athletics event, we are forced to cede the number 1 position to Thailand in terms of total medals. Mr. Minh asked the question, "Who will be the spearhead to be able to compete for medals in the continental arena?". According to Mr. Minh, in swimming, although many individuals such as the trio Nguyen Huy Hoang, Pham Thanh Bao and Tran Hung Nguyen have tried their best, the achievements of Vietnamese swimming at this SEA Games have not met the set targets. That is the problem that "managers and experts must analyze thoroughly, then find methods and create conditions to be able to improve and enhance achievements in regional or continental arenas".

The fact that the U.22 Vietnam team could not defend the SEA Games gold medal is perhaps a symbolic image of things that are not yet right. Perhaps Vietnamese sports still have shortcomings that may not be resolved in the near future.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/mung-day-ma-cung-rat-lo-185230515212844105.htm