Decisive day for Vietnamese sports at ASIAD 19

Today (October 4) is considered the decisive day for the success or failure of Vietnamese sports at the 19th ASIAD in Hangzhou (China) when there are 3 events expected to win gold medals: 4-person team women's sepak takraw, 4 x 400m relay women's athletics and mass start women's cycling.

Cloud bridge has a bright door but be careful

In the event where the world's strongest sepak takraw team, Thailand, did not participate, the opportunity to win the gold medal was wide open for the remaining opponents, especially the Vietnamese team. As a result, the Vietnamese women's sepak takraw team won all 3 matches in the group stage against Myanmar, Japan, Indonesia and then beat the host China in the semi-finals yesterday to compete again with Indonesia in the gold medal match today.

July 16, 2023, the women's sepak takraw team won the world gold medal

Sepak Takraw team has a chance to win gold

Nguyen Thi Huyen promises to shine with the Vietnamese women's 4 x 400m relay team

Independence

The women's relay team won the Asian gold medal on July 16, 2023

Coach Vu Ngoc Loi and Nguyen Thi Huyen

Mr. Le Thanh Son, in charge of the Sepak Takraw Department of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, said: "Although there is a great opportunity, the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw team must be extremely cautious and highly focused for the final match with Indonesia. This opponent is very formidable and very familiar to us. We have encouraged the female players to be mentally comfortable, overcome the pressure of winning the gold medal and compete with the best form."

The Vietnamese sepak takraw team that is hunting for gold in the 4-person team event includes Nguyen Thi My, Tran Thi Hong Nhung, Tran Thi Ngoc Yen, Le Thi Tu Trinh, Nguyen Thi Yen, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huyen (4 main players, 2 reserve players).

Athletics delivers the decisive blow

After the failure of Nguyen Thi Oanh in the women's 1,500 m, women's 3,000 m hurdles, Nguyen Thi Huyen in the women's 400 m hurdles, and defending champion Bui Thi Thu Thao in the women's long jump, the Vietnamese athletics team put all their hopes on the women's 4 x 400 m.

China surpasses 160 gold medals

At the end of yesterday's competition day, host China won a total of 297 medals with 161 gold medals, 90 silver medals, 46 bronze medals, far surpassing the second-placed Japan with 33 gold medals, 47 silver medals, 50 bronze medals, while South Korea ranked third with 32 gold medals, 42 silver medals, 65 bronze medals. The Vietnamese delegation added 1 bronze medal in boxing to achieve a total of 1 gold medal, 3 silver medals, 14 bronze medals, ranking 20th. Thailand led Southeast Asia and ranked 7th overall with 10 gold medals, 11 silver medals, 19 bronze medals.

The quartet of Nguyen Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thi Hang, Nguyen Thi Ngoc, and Hoang Thi Minh Hanh are the winners of the 4 x 400 m women's gold medal at the 2023 Asian Championship in Thailand last July. The entire team was carefully prepared for the gold medal at the 19th ASIAD when they went to Shanghai (China) to train for more than a month to further improve their baton passing techniques as well as maintain good condition. To avoid injury and focus on this most important event, Nguyen Thi Huyen did not give her all in the 400 m hurdles event, accepting to stop in the qualifying round.

Coach Vu Ngoc Loi said that among the 7 competitors competing with the Vietnamese women's 4 x 400m relay team in the final, the Bahrain team is the most formidable as it has great naturalized runners. Host China is not present while other competitors such as India and Sri Lanka have been defeated by us in the Asian tournament. "I hope the girls can show their full potential in their races so that we can achieve the results we expect," Coach Vu Ngoc Loi shared.

Challenge for cyclist Nguyen Thi That

As the defending champion of the Asian mass start cycling event, Nguyen Thi That is of course a strong candidate for the gold medal in this event at the 19th ASIAD taking place today. She is also the first Vietnamese athlete to have a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics thanks to her Asian gold medal achievement.

Women's volleyball meets DPRK Today, Vietnam's women's volleyball team will face DPRK in the second qualifying round (group E). If they win against this opponent, Vietnam will enter the semi-finals of ASIAD 19 for the first time. In addition, Vietnam will compete in archery, badminton, chess, and chess.

The female cyclist from An Giang , who is currently playing for the Premier Tech Roland Professional Cycling Club (Switzerland), will be supported by her teammate Nguyen Thi Thi when competing with 31 other opponents on the 139.7 km long race route. Unfortunately for Nguyen Thi That, she was injured at the Giro cycling tour (Italy) in July and has only recovered 70% of her form. Another challenge awaits Nguyen Thi That as the race course at ASIAD 19 has many slopes in the 40 km section before the finish line. With her forte in sprinting and not being strong on mountain roads, Vietnam's number 1 racer must make an effort to be in the large group in order to compete at the finish line. In addition, the competitors are also very strong, such as the two home Chinese riders who are familiar with the race route and the individual Asian time trial champion Olga Zabelinskaya (Uzbekistan) who is also participating.

"Nguyen Thi That and her teammates have the advantage of arriving in China early and getting used to the entire competition route. The coaching staff also did not set a goal of winning a gold medal to help That reduce the pressure. As the reigning Asian champion, That will have to be closely monitored by her opponents, so depending on the situation on the track, she and her teammate Nguyen Thi Thi will coordinate and come up with solutions," said Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu, in charge of the cycling department of the Department of Sports and Physical Training.

Thanhnien.vn