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)