Vietnam Gymnastics:

The 2025 National Gymnastics Championship held in Hanoi has brought many positive signals to the Vietnamese team in the sprint stage when the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 33) is about to start in Thailand.

This is not only an opportunity to review the team's strength and evaluate the performance of the players, but also a basis for the coaching staff to aim for the goal of winning 2 gold medals at the Games, while also making long-term preparations for the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20) in 2026 and the 2028 Olympics.

National gymnastics team athletes actively practice in preparation for the 33rd SEA Games. Photo: Manh Quan

Core force with rich potential

The 2025 National Gymnastics Championship, held at Quan Ngua Sports Palace ( Hanoi ) from September 15 to 20, has shown a clear transformation of the athlete force. Experts assess this as the generation of athletes with the best depth in recent years.

National gymnastics team members such as Nguyen Van Khanh Phong, Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien, Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu… continue to maintain stable performance in their favorite events. Young athletes from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong are gradually asserting their positions, creating a promising next generation. Meanwhile, veteran athlete Dinh Phuong Thanh still plays a pivotal role, both contributing to achievements and guiding the younger generation.

In addition, the team's international achievements in 2025 continue to strengthen confidence: Khanh Phong won the silver medal in the Challenge Cup hoop; Xuan Thien won a gold medal at the Challenge Cup and a bronze medal in the pommel horse at the Asian Championship; Quynh Nhu won a silver medal in the women's vault at the Asian Championship, showing positive signs in an event that has lacked highlights for many years.

At the 2025 National Gymnastics Championship, Dinh Phuong Thanh impressed by winning the gold medal on the horizontal bar and parallel bars, continuing to be a professional support for the team. Coach Truong Minh Sang said: “The national championship accurately reflects the progress of each athlete. The coaching staff will base on the strengths of each athlete to build a plan towards the SEA Games, ASIAD and Olympics.”

Sports expert Nguyen Hong Minh commented: “Vietnam’s gymnastics currently has the highest quality group of male athletes in the past 5-7 years. However, to compete for medals at the ASIAD or Olympics, key players need to be invested in deeply, both in terms of difficulty of movements and international competition skills.”

Prepare carefully and aim for big goals

At the 33rd SEA Games, the Department of Physical Training and Sports (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) set a target for Vietnamese gymnastics to win at least 2 gold medals - a goal that is considered appropriate in the context of a young force with great potential and stable performance. Notably, the 33rd SEA Games Organizing Committee dropped the all-around and team events - which are Vietnam's traditional strengths. Instead, the Organizing Committee only kept the individual events; each athlete can register for a maximum of three events and enter the finals for a maximum of two events. This forced the team to adjust their training strategy.

According to the coaching board, the Vietnamese gymnastics team will participate in all men's and women's events at the 33rd SEA Games. This year, although the team will not train abroad, they will be guaranteed full equipment and training conditions. Coach Truong Minh Sang said: "Each athlete will participate in 3-4 international competitions to train their mentality and test their skills. We will adjust the competition pace in each stage to maintain physical strength and technical stability...".

The men's team consists of 4 athletes: Nguyen Van Khanh Phong, Dinh Phuong Thanh, Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien and Trinh Hai Khang. Streamlining the force helps the athletes focus on increasing the difficulty of the test and optimizing their performance. Athlete Dang Ngoc Xuan Thien shared: "SEA Games 33 will have fierce competition from Malaysia and the Philippines, but we aim to defend the Gold Medal in the pommel horse. The whole team is ready."

In the women's category, athlete Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu is expected to become a new bright spot. With her achievements at the Asian Championship, she is considered capable of competing for the Gold Medal - something that Vietnamese women's gymnastics has been waiting for for many years.

In parallel with the preparation plan for SEA Games 33, the team is also aiming for the 2025 World Championship in Indonesia - one of the important tournaments to evaluate capacity and accumulate points for the cycle towards the 2028 Olympics. Along with that, ASIAD 20 in 2026 is also a big goal, especially after Khanh Phong's historic Silver Medal at ASIAD 19.

According to the Department of Sports and Physical Training, the Vietnamese gymnastics team is currently focusing on 10 core athletes. The list for the 33rd SEA Games will be finalized when the athletes reach the highest level of stability and are free of injuries.

With the force at its peak, along with thorough preparation in terms of technique, physical strength and mentality, the Vietnamese gymnastics team is expected to complete the target of 2 gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand at the end of the year, and at the same time create an important turning point on the journey towards the 20th ASIAD and the 2028 Olympics. This is considered an important time for Vietnamese gymnastics to affirm its position in the region and reach out to major arenas.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/the-duc-dung-cu-viet-nam-san-sang-cho-muc-tieu-tai-sea-games-33-723461.html