Vietnamese bodybuilding aims for world top

Bodybuilding will not be included in the competition program at SEA Games 32 and the upcoming SEA Games 33. This is a pity when Vietnamese bodybuilding has many strengths.

The Vietnamese bodybuilding team continues to invest in improving professional standards to affirm its leading position at the world championship.

With the achievements of leading the 2024 world championship, winning the Southeast Asian championship and being the Asian runner-up in 2025, the Vietnamese bodybuilding team is continuing to invest in improving professional standards to affirm its leading position at the world championship this November.

According to Vice President of the Vietnam Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation Nguyen Hong Minh, in Southeast Asia there are four countries that are really interested in developing bodybuilding for top-level competitions: Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. However, at the 33rd SEA Games in December, the host country Thailand chose to organize the Southeast Asian and Asian Bodybuilding Championships separately instead of including them in the Games. Although it is a bit regrettable, this does not affect the overall development of Vietnamese bodybuilding because every year, the Southeast Asian, Asian and world bodybuilding championships are still held regularly. Vietnamese bodybuilders are qualified to compete regularly.

Proactively adjust preparation plans

Immediately after determining that the 33rd SEA Games would not hold bodybuilding competitions, the leaders of the department and the Vietnamese bodybuilding team proactively adjusted their preparation plans. According to Head Coach of the Vietnamese bodybuilding team Nguyen Van Hai, since last July, the team of 30 athletes and two coaches has been gathered at the National Sports Training Center to aim for other important goals this year.

Coach Nguyen Van Hai said: “We are facing difficulties due to the continuous competition schedule at the end of the year, so the athletes have to try to maintain the best physical condition. Besides, having to compete with strong teams like India, Thailand and Mongolia is also a pressure.”

With proactive preparation, at the Southeast Asian Bodybuilding Championship and the Asian Bodybuilding Championship in Thailand last August, our country's bodybuilding team affirmed its leading position in the region by winning six gold medals, becoming the Southeast Asian champion, and winning eight Asian gold medals, placing second overall.

Our country's bodybuilding team will compete in the 2025 World Bodybuilding Championships from November 11 to 17 in Indonesia. This is a tournament with a very high scale and professional level, requiring careful and long-term preparation. More than 20 Vietnamese athletes will participate, competing in 33 categories with the goal of winning five gold medals at the world level or higher. In this team, about 20% of the athletes are young and participating in international competitions for the first time. This is a positive signal when Vietnamese bodybuilding is focusing on discovering young and new factors, creating a capable next generation.

In addition to the medal goal, the team also aims to supplement its strength and build a training foundation according to international standards. Nguyen Viet Phu, an athlete competing in the 65kg category, and female athlete Dinh Kim Loan in the 55kg category said that they still maintain their training rhythm and clearly define their new goals, determined to put all their efforts into preparing to achieve high results at the upcoming world tournament. Both athletes want to contribute to maintaining the position of the Vietnamese bodybuilding team on the world map, and at the same time inspire the younger generation of athletes, especially the female athletes who are pursuing this path.

Aim higher

Not bound by the Olympic system or national key sports, bodybuilding still thrives thanks to the socialization. Vice President of the Vietnam Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation Nguyen Hong Minh said: “This is the advantage that helps the sport maintain stability despite changes in the regional competition structure. Currently, bodybuilding and fitness are not only for professional athletes but have spread to many age groups. The need to practice to improve health and improve body shape is increasing. From that natural foundation, sports people can completely discover more talents for the team.”

Currently, the Vietnam Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation is synchronously implementing communication, training and competition programs. According to the Federation's Head of Communication, Dang Thanh Hai, the Federation is building training courses for fitness instructors, developing technology applications to spread knowledge about health and training, and expanding the tournament system from grassroots to national. This will create motivation for practitioners and new resources for elite sports.

Mr. Dang Thanh Hai emphasized: "Organizing attractive competitions, updating training materials according to international standards and applying communication technology are three important pillars to help Vietnamese bodybuilding maintain its appeal in society and expand the source of recruits for the national team."

According to coach Nguyen Van Hai, to go the long way, three factors are needed: Detecting young athletes, improving coaching skills and maintaining a professional domestic tournament system. The team's coaching staff is focusing on building the U18 and U21 teams, organizing youth tournaments every year, incorporating international competition criteria into the curriculum, and updating knowledge of nutrition and sports physiology for coaches.

Along with that, the domestic competition system such as the National Championship, Club Cup, National Youth Championship... has been gradually upgraded in both scale and quality. Athletes are now familiar with international scoring methods, gradually narrowing the gap with the big arena.

With a specific direction and plan, Vice President of the Vietnam Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation Nguyen Hong Minh, the leaders of the department and the team all believe that with the achievements of leading the Southeast Asian championship, being the runner-up in the Asian delegation and being in the strongest group in Asia, the goal of maintaining high achievements, entering the top group in the upcoming world competition is possible and within the ability of Vietnamese bodybuilding. That is not an impossible aspiration, but the result of many years of careful preparation.

HOAI THU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/the-hinh-viet-nam-huong-toi-muc-tieu-top-dau-the-gioi-post922369.html