Thai Nguyen develops key sports

In Vietnam's strategy for developing high-performance sports until 2030, focusing investment on key disciplines has become a consistent direction. This policy should not only be implemented at the national level but also flexibly at the local level, in accordance with specific conditions.

In Thai Nguyen, selecting sports with competitive advantages such as rowing and martial arts is opening up a clear direction, contributing to raising the status of local sports as well as contributing to the overall achievements of the whole country.

The moment athlete Nguyen Hong Thai ( Thai Nguyen ) crossed the finish line in the C1 5000m rowing event at the 2026 Asian Beach Games (ABG). Photo: Provided.

One of Thai Nguyen's outstanding advantages is its favorable natural conditions for water sports. The Nui Coc Lake area, with its large surface area and relatively stable environment, is an ideal location for developing rowing competitions.

With proper investment in wharves, equipment, and coaching staff, this place could become a regional training center for rowing athletes. Beyond its natural advantages, Thai Nguyen's sports sector has already made its mark with concrete results on the international stage.

At the 2026 Asian Beach Games (ABG), the Vietnamese rowing team included three athletes from Thai Nguyen: Le Thi Lan Anh, Vu Thi Ngoc Uyen, and Nguyen Hong Thai. In the women's 100m 12-person dragon boat event, the Vietnamese team performed impressively and won a Silver Medal. The two athletes from Thai Nguyen, Le Thi Lan Anh and Vu Thi Ngoc Uyen, played a crucial role in this achievement.

In the individual events, Nguyen Hong Thai continued to demonstrate his abilities by winning the Gold Medal in the C1 5,000m and the Silver Medal in the C1 500m.

These results show that Thai Nguyen has begun to directly contribute to the national team's achievements. This is an important practical basis for guiding deeper investment and gradually building a force of high-quality and competitive rowing athletes in the future.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Vinh, Head of the High-Performance Sports Department, Department of Sports and Physical Education, commented: Thai Nguyen is a locality with quite suitable natural conditions for developing water sports, especially rowing. It is noteworthy that the province's athletes have quickly demonstrated their abilities by participating in the national team and achieving success. To further develop this potential, comprehensive investment is needed, from infrastructure and equipment to training. With the right direction and long-term investment, Thai Nguyen can completely become one of the key rowing training centers in the Northern region.

The gold medal in the C1 5000m event at the 2026 Asian Games is proof of Thai Nguyen's focus on sports training.

Besides boat racing, martial arts are also a notable strength of the locality. Over the years, the movement to practice disciplines such as jujitsu, taekwondo, karate, and wushu has developed widely in Thai Nguyen, attracting a large number of young people to participate.

The development of martial arts in Thai Nguyen not only contributes to improving public health but also creates a foundation for discovering and nurturing young talents. Many martial arts clubs and training centers have been established, gradually professionalizing training methods.

According to Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh, President of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation, martial arts have the advantage of not requiring as many specific facilities as some other disciplines, but they do need systematic investment in expertise and a youth training system.

Localities with strong martial arts movements, such as Thai Nguyen, if properly organized with training systems from the grassroots to advanced levels, can absolutely develop martial arts into strengths alongside those already advantageous.

In fact, martial arts is a group of sports in which Vietnam consistently achieves high results at regional and continental competitions. Therefore, developing both aquatic sports and martial arts equally will not only help Thai Nguyen diversify its high-performance sports system, but also contribute to improving its ability to contribute athletes to the national team in many events.

With its existing advantages, Thai Nguyen has the potential to become one of the localities that actively contributes to high-performance sports nationwide, creating a breakthrough and contributing to the overall success of Vietnamese sports on the international stage.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/the-thao/202605/thai-nguyen-phat-trien-the-thao-trong-diem-ed12c47/