Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh: "Vietnam can win a medal at the 2028 Olympics"

(Dan Tri) - Expert Nguyen Hong Minh commented that Vietnamese Sports (TTVN) can win medals at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles (USA), on the condition that we must drastically change the way we do things.

On January 30, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh issued Decree No. 14 establishing the Ministry of Youth, a Central Sports Department under the Ministry of Youth, which is the predecessor of today's Sports and Physical Training sector.

Then, in 1957, the Central Sports Committee was established, and in 1960 it was changed to the Sports Committee. During the period from 1975 to 1986, mass sports movements developed strongly, especially promoting the campaign "All people exercise following the example of great Uncle Ho".

Then came the period when Vietnamese Sports transformed strongly, leaving a huge mark on the international arena, starting from the SEA Games, to larger sporting events such as the Asiad and the Olympics.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh is the former Director of the Department of High Performance Sports (under the National Sports Committee), former head of the Vietnamese sports delegation at sports events from SEA Games, Asiad to Olympics.

This expert is knowledgeable about the country's sports and is passionate about the movements of Vietnam's sports over the past decades. Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh has also repeatedly predicted the future and the achievements of Vietnam's sports at the congresses. In addition, Mr. Minh has often given profound and frank opinions and suggestions to Vietnam's sports.

One day at the end of August, Dan Tri reporter had a chat with this experienced expert.

Athletics is a sport with many potential athletes (Photo: Quy Luong).

Groundbreaking changes

If you were to talk about the highlights of TTVN over the years, what highlights would you mention?

- Actually, this is not new, for example, the Gold Medal (HCV) of shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh at the 2016 Rio Olympics (Brazil), the Silver Medal (HCB) of Tran Hieu Ngan at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (Australia). That was the first medal of Vietnam at an Olympics...

Recalling these milestones would be very long and many people already know. What I want to emphasize here is that the development process of TTVN when reaching out to the world in the past few decades can be divided into two stages.

The first stage is the process that we often call “taking a shortcut”. That was the time when Vietnam Sports Administration had just integrated internationally, from 7th-8th place in the SEA Games, to rise to the top group, even to the number one position, we had to pay attention to the number of medals, so we had to expand martial arts, even stick fighting, combined with the strengths of Vietnam Sports Administration such as wrestling, diving, shuttlecock kicking to have enough medals to bring us to the leading position.

However, in the later stages, this approach is no longer suitable. TTVN needs quality rather than quantity of medals, following the general trend of the world . We are slow to change, despite having opposing opinions. It was not until March this year that TTVN reached a consensus at the Workshop to contribute ideas to build a development program for key sports, before having another direction.

Hoang Xuan Vinh's victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics is the biggest achievement of Vietnamese sports to date (Photo: Getty).

Is the slow transition in the above orientation the reason why Vietnam's sports sector sometimes experienced a lull at the 19th Asian Games (in 2023, in Hangzhou, China) and the 2024 Paris Olympics (France)?

- The problem that happened to Vietnam at the two aforementioned sports events is exactly what I warned about 20 years ago. Two decades ago, after the number one position of Vietnam at the 22nd SEA Games in 2003 at home, I predicted that we would not have any medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics (Greece).

At that time, I said that we could not have an Olympic medal because we did not have a specific program to "hunt" for an Olympic medal. 20 years later, things are going in the same direction, TTVN has had great success with the number one position at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023 in Cambodia, but empty-handed at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

I emphasize again that we cannot have success in the Asiad and the Olympics, once we do not have a plan to target those games. Now, in theory, TTVN has a strategy to approach the Asiad and the Olympics, the remaining problem is how to do it in practice.

The road to success

So in reality, what does TTVN need to do to succeed in the above mentioned arenas?

- This is also what I have talked about with my brothers who are managing sports, which is how we have to distribute the regime, or in common parlance, how we have to "divide the money" for different athletes and coaches, at different levels.

It is really absurd if an athlete is at a higher level, has a higher prospect of winning an Asian Games or Olympic medal than the majority of the remaining athletes, but the diet, treatment, and care are exactly the same as all other athletes. Here, leveling is unfair. Moreover, if the division is equalized, most athletes will be divided equally, which is no different from the old way.

Following the general trend of the world, Vietnam's sports industry has also made an important shift, from widespread investment to key investment, directly attacking the Asian Games and Olympic arenas (Photo: Quy Luong).

We often say that we have little money and resources, not as abundant as the world's sports powers. If we have little money and then spread it out, the efficiency will be even lower. If we have little money, we need to focus even more.

Besides, if we talk about financial potential, I think that Thailand 's economy is not superior to Vietnam's economy, Jamaica's is also not superior, and North Korea is still facing many difficulties, but they still have athletes winning Olympic gold medals many times in a row. So, the important thing here is the way of doing things, the investment orientation.

And what is that effective way, sir?

- North Korea, Jamaica, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and even some world sports powers like Russia and South Korea are currently only focusing on a few of their strongest sports when investing in the Olympics. Then, in each specific sport, they focus heavily on investing in a few athletes.

There are few high-level athletes, but if they win an Olympic gold medal, the value may be greater and create a much bigger buzz than spreading investment among thousands of athletes and hundreds of gold medals at the SEA Games.

The next issue is to identify the strong sports to invest specifically in major arenas. For example, Thailand has invested specifically in taekwondo athlete Panipak Wongpattanakit (women's 49kg), helping her win two consecutive gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Or Jamaican athletes have special qualities in athletics, they invest heavily in these athletes.

Vietnamese athletes also have good qualities in shooting, gymnastics, taekwondo, athletics (middle distances), which can be specialized for investment.

Success is in sight, the important thing is how to do it

According to your calculation, when will we have success at Asiad and Olympics?

- If we really change the way we do things, really change in nature, right at the next Asian Games (in Nagoya, Japan, 2026) and the next Olympics (in Los Angeles, USA, 2028), Vietnam will be successful.

Trinh Thu Vinh can win a medal at the 2028 Olympics, if heavily invested (Photo: Quy Luong).

For example, our shooter Trinh Thu Vinh ranked 4th (women's 10m air pistol event) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If she receives significant investment and has a good plan, Thu Vinh can completely rise to 2nd or 3rd place, which means she will have an Olympic medal.

Or previously, swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang won the Silver Medal (HCB) at the 2019 Asian Games with a time of 14 minutes 58 seconds 53. Notably, he only lost to Chinese athlete Sun Yang, who also won the Olympic gold medal in this event in 2012 (in London, England).

That means we do not lack potential, the problem must be solved drastically, we must invest differently than before, we must give priority to those who deserve it. TTVN cannot be divided in a scattered manner like before.

Changing the way of investment and division is also a method for Vietnam Sports Administration to classify and train the best athletes, and successfully approach the biggest sports events?

- Currently, TTVN has 4 national sports training centers (in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Can Tho), all 4 are operating smoothly. It is time for us to choose one of the 4 centers mentioned above, then invest heavily, make a difference.

The best equipment, leading experts in medicine, nutrition, sports science, physiotherapists, the best coaches and athletes will gather there, to focus on the most difficult tasks, the most severe arenas.

That is the reality of what is happening in the world's leading sports countries such as the US, China, Japan, Germany. There must be good facilities and good teachers to produce good athletes. This is also a method of operation in a centralized direction, instead of being spread out like before!

Thank you for the very interesting discussion!

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ong-nguyen-hong-minh-viet-nam-co-the-gianh-huy-chuong-o-lympic-2028-20250827000154586.htm