Vietnam poised to maintain winning streak
Vietnam poised to maintain winning streak
As part of our coverage of the SEA Games, The Jakarta Post is
running a profile of each of the 10 participating countries. The
story below is the ninth in the series.
JAKARTA (JP): Vietnam's desire to double its medal collection
at the coming SEA Games is not just wishful thinking, if
statistics are worth believing.
After missing seven meets, Vietnam returned to the biennial
event in 1989 in Kuala Lumpur with a startling performance.
It managed only three gold medals on its reappearance, but the
achievement proved to be a flying start for a country which had
just emerged from the wilderness.
Two years later in Manila, Vietnam marched on to steal a
little bit more thunder with seven gold medals in a Games that
saw a tooth and nail rivalry between the host, the Philippines,
and Indonesia.
Vietnam notched further progress in the 17th SEA Games in
Singapore, taking nine golds home. And it continued its
improvement two years later, powering its way to 10 golds in
Chiang Mai, Thailand.
It is not surprising, therefore, that dark horse Vietnam is
now aiming for 20 golds from the 27 sports it will contest during
this year's Games.
Doan Thao, Vietnam's chief of mission said medals were
expected from its favorite sport shooting, the martial art events
pencak silat and wushu , soccer, track and field, table tennis,
wrestling, and men's volleyball.
Vietnam is also banking on its track and field squad headed by
Vu Bich Huong, Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, Nguyen Van Thi Bich, Van
Hoa Phan, Thi Teo Dang, and Vu My Hanh to contribute much to its
medals tally.
A gold, six silvers and four bronzes went into Vietnam's track
coffer in Chiang Mai.
Shooting will be the sport the country can retain a strong
grip on, given its commendable showing in the 21st Asia Pacific
Shooting competition in China Taipei early this year, in which it
bagged four golds.
Vietnam's marksmen and women won four golds, five silvers, and
four bronzes in the previous SEA Games.
Women's air pistol specialist Thi Linh Chi and male rapid fire
pistol master Pham Cao, both squad regulars, will once again be
in the team.
In pencak silat, the women's trio of Tranh Thu Huong, Nguyen
Hong Hai and Dao Xuan Thang, who each won a gold medal in the
World Pencak Silat Championships in Kuala Lumpur last May, are
expected to shine. Vietnam hopes to win four golds from the
Indonesian martial art.
The Wushu athletes have set their sights on taking three or
four gold medals.
Coaches
To boost its SEA Games bid, Vietnam has recruited some 20
foreign coaches to groom the 350 sportsmen and women who will don
the national colors here. Its organizing committee arranged
massive training centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for the Games.
Among the imported coaches are Indonesian Suhartono who
trained Vietnam's pencak silat team, British soccer coach Colin
Murphy and Thai Lancung, a women's volleyball coach from China.
Doan, who is also vice director of the Vietnam Olympic
Committee, said that the government would provide incentives for
athletes to win medals.
Bronze medalists will receive eight million dong (US700) each,
silver medalists 11.5 million dong and gold medalists will be 15
million dong better off, Doan said.
Additional cash bonuses up to $200 await other Vietnamese
sportsmen and women. "I myself will earmark the extra bonuses,"
Doan said. (04)