Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Thanh Binh presented wreaths and cash prizes to coach Nguyen Bao Long and two athletes Anh Lan and Thu Thao of the Tra Vinh petanque team.
The achievements mentioned above did not come naturally, but required a long process. Recalling the early days of bringing the sport of pétanque to Tra Vinh, Mr. Nguyen Bao Long, Head of Training and Education Department (Tra Vinh Sports Training and Competition Center), and also the head coach of the Tra Vinh pétanque team, said: recognizing the potential for pétanque development in Tra Vinh, in early 2005, the leaders of the Sports Professional Department (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) assigned him to Ho Chi Minh City to research and learn how to develop pétanque in Tra Vinh.
Following that assignment, after visiting petanque clubs in Ho Chi Minh City to learn, at the end of 2005, Mr. Nguyen Bao Long began experimenting with transferring children who were training in sepak takraw at the Provincial Youth Activities Center to petanque. From the initial 6 athletes, by 2006 the team had added 2 male and 1 female athlete to form the petanque team to participate in the 5th National Sports Games in Ho Chi Minh City. The results were surprising; in their first participation in the competition, the Tra Vinh female petanque athletes won a Bronze Medal in the triples event.
From that initial impressive "boost," the Tra Vinh petanque team and its talent development team continued to receive attention and investment to gradually increase their numbers. Working and learning simultaneously to accumulate experience from other localities, since 2008, Tra Vinh petanque athletes have consistently participated in and achieved success at regional and national competitions. By 2010, Huynh Cong Tam of the Tra Vinh petanque team was the first name called up to the national team to compete at the Sea Games, followed by athletes Thach Thi Anh Lan and Thach Pha NaRa in 2012, 2015, and 2016… to compete in Southeast Asian, Asian, and world tournaments.
In an interview, Mr. Nguyen Bao Long further stated that, thanks to its consistent achievements, Tra Vinh's petanque team has made memorable milestones. For example, before the 30th Sea Games in the Philippines in 2019, Tra Vinh was selected by the General Department of Physical Education and Sports as the location for the national petanque team's training camp, which included 3 coaches and 16 athletes, with Mr. Nguyen Bao Long being entrusted with coaching the team.
In 2023 alone, the Tra Vinh petanque team continuously achieved new and proud milestones. The Tra Vinh petanque team ranked first overall at the 9th Mekong Delta Sports Games in 2023 with 3 Gold medals, 2 Silver medals, and 3 Bronze medals. At national-level competitions, the team won 4 Gold medals, 1 Silver medal, and 3 Bronze medals.
Notably, at the 2023 Asian Petanque Championships held in Malaysia, Thach Thi Anh Lan and Kim Thi Thu Thao from Tra Vinh, along with a player from Binh Duong, won the gold medal for Vietnam in the women's triples event. Following that, Anh Lan and Thu Thao continued to write history for their province and Vietnam in the world petanque arena by becoming the first-ever women's triples pommel horse at the 2023 World Championships in Thailand.
In particular, Thach Thi Anh Lan, the "golden girl" of petanque from Tra Vinh, excelled by reaching the final of the women's individual technical event and winning a Silver Medal at the 2023 World Championships. These achievements delighted petanque fans in Tra Vinh and across the country. It was even more heartwarming to witness the image of the national flag flying high and the Vietnamese national anthem being played in a foreign country, amidst the admiration of international friends, as the athletes stepped onto the podium to receive their Gold Medals.
Success followed success, but the Tra Vinh petanque team did not become complacent, instead continuing to train diligently. Every day, as we observed, the eight team members persistently followed the training plan set by coach Nguyen Bao Long, preparing for domestic and international competitions. Possessing the most impressive record of achievements in the team, two players, Thach Thi Anh Lan and Kim Thi Thu Thao, have become shining examples for the entire team to follow. Anh Lan, in addition to her role as an athlete, also serves as a coach, working alongside Mr. Nguyen Bao Long to mentor 17 talented young athletes.
Proud of the achievements of her predecessors, young athlete Truong Thi So Phuong expressed her determination to train diligently to follow in their footsteps. So Phuong said she feels very fortunate to have been selected for the Tra Vinh petanque talent team, where there are senior athletes who have always brought proud achievements to their hometown and country. According to coach Nguyen Bao Long, names like So Phuong, Xuan Toan, and Quoc Nhan… are promising young athletes for the Tra Vinh petanque team.
We will continuously strive to maintain our achievements, while always encouraging and reminding our athletes not to become complacent with their results. Along with that, we will adopt new, highly scientific training methods; continue to scout for talented athletes to add to our youth teams and national teams… so that Tra Vinh petanque will forever remain a source of pride for the leaders and sports fans of Tra Vinh," affirmed coach Nguyen Bao Long.
Text and photos: BA THI
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