Gymnastics: A Challenging Journey

Gymnastics team determined to overcome difficulties at SEA Games 32 Photo: QUY LUONG

The strongest opponent is world champion Carlos Yulo

Having been with the Vietnamese gymnastics team for 21 years, as an athlete and then as the team's coach, Coach Truong Minh Sang has experienced many emotions, from the time when Vietnamese gymnastics overcame difficulties to lead Southeast Asia at many SEA Games to the difficult periods due to the transfer of forces. Analyzing in a low voice, the coach who has been considered the "symbol" of the Gymnastics team for many years shared: "Most recently, Vietnamese Gymnastics won the leading position of the entire delegation at the 29th SEA Games with 5 gold medals. However, in 2019, since the World Gymnastics Championships, Southeast Asian Gymnastics has seen a new and interesting phenomenon, athlete Carlos Yulo (Philippines). This athlete made a miracle at the age of 19 but became the first male athlete from Southeast Asia to win the world championship in the freestyle event. At the 30th SEA Games held at home, Carlos Yulo won the all-around gold medal while our two veteran athletes, Dinh Phuong Thanh and Le Thanh Tung, won the silver and bronze medals respectively. Since then, this athlete born in 2000 has always maintained his form, competed impressively and won many gold medals at regional tournaments."

The excellence of Carlos Yulo has caused many difficulties for Vietnamese Gymnastics in the battle for medals at this SEA Games. While Carlo Yulo is only 23 years old, entering the mature stage, with the highest form, veteran athletes such as Dinh Phuong Thanh is 28 years old, Le Thanh Tung is also 26 years old. These are also athletes that the Philippines has invested heavily in, having spent a long time training in Japan, while young Vietnamese athletes are still diligently practicing in the country, so their level is quite different. In addition, the natural talent has helped this cute-faced Filipino athlete surpass his opponents in the Southeast Asian region. “That is why we must carefully consider the events we participate in. At the 32nd SEA Games, the Vietnamese men’s gymnastics team with 6 athletes will compete in 8 events including team, all-around and 6 individual events. For now, we must focus on our strengths such as team, pommel horse, rings…”, said coach Truong Minh Sang.

In addition to the formidable opponent from the Philippines, Vietnamese Gymnastics will also have to face strong opponents from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. In the past, although we have received investment attention, other countries have also invested heavily. They have also found the path to success like Vietnamese Gymnastics has done, so the competition for gold medals at the largest sports event in the region is becoming increasingly fierce.

The important thing is the spirit of not giving up.

The special thing about the Vietnamese men's gymnastics team is that the boys are all small in stature and have student-like faces, but their competitive spirit is very strong. Dinh Phuong Thanh and Le Thanh Tung used to compete with their legs completely bandaged, each step they took was painful, but they did not give up. There were many tournaments where they had to take painkillers to compete, "but no professional athlete can avoid injuries, so before the pain subsides, they rush back to practice and compete. Therefore, the coaching staff also applies many exercises for them to both recover and practice," said coach Truong Minh Sang.

As a senior generation attached to the team, Coach Truong Minh Sang is not only a coach but also a big brother in the "house" of the men's gymnastics team. Just by looking, this coach can grasp the thoughts and wishes of the athletes to make timely adjustments with the members of the coaching staff. "In the team, there is Coach Truong Tuan Hien, who has been attached to the team for many years, so the training work is also much better", Coach Truong Minh Sang shared and analyzed, a good sign before participating in the 32nd SEA Games, 3 young athletes Trinh Hai Khang, Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien, Nguyen Van Khanh Phong participated in competing in 2 World Cups, held in Doha (Qatar) and Baku (Azerbaijan). At the World Cup held in Azerbaijan, athlete Nguyen Van Khanh Phong ranked 4th out of 8 athletes in the finals, just missing a medal.

“The good news is that although all 3 athletes are young, through observation I see that they are quite stable mentally and have good technical adjustments in this major tournament. The 2 World Cups are one of the qualifying tournaments for the World Championships, the young athletes being able to compete in these major tournaments will help them mature more when competing internationally, first of all at the 32nd SEA Games. Although they are all young athletes, this time they participated in the tournament without the guidance of their seniors, but during the competition, they performed very well, made progress, and both tournaments had athletes in the finals. This will help them accumulate more experience, gradually improving their level and achievements in the future,” coach Truong Minh Sang analyzed.

Currently, Dinh Phuong Thanh's injury has progressed, while Le Thanh Tung is in the process of both training and treating his injury. At the 32nd SEA Games, the Gymnastics team with the combination of two generations of athletes will complement each other during the competition. According to the newly updated schedule, the team will have 2 days of practice to get used to the competition conditions on May 6-7 and officially compete from May 8-9.

“The coaching staff always tells the athletes that when facing strong opponents like Carlos Yulo, we will face many difficulties. But in return, from strong opponents, the athletes will learn and mature. The important thing is the spirit of not giving up, “fighting” with all their might for the flag and colors of the Fatherland,” Coach Truong Minh Sang affirmed, his eyes also shining with joy and hope for a generation of students who will follow in the footsteps of their seniors to create success for Vietnamese Gymnastics in the international arena.

THU SAM

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