Vietnam's running legend Bui Luong passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind immense sorrow for his family, the sports industry, and the Vietnamese athletics community.
Coach Bui Luong is a monument of Vietnamese athletics.
Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training Dang Ha Viet confirmed that former athletics coach Bui Luong breathed his last on the afternoon of June 30. The Vietnamese athletics legend had been battling a serious illness, and his health had deteriorated in recent times, requiring hospitalization.
Despite his illness, Bui Luong maintained his dedication to athletics, running 5km daily regardless of the weather until his health declined. He had a 60-year-long involvement in athletics, spanning 20 years (1957 - 1977) as an athlete and 40 years (1980 - 2020) as a coach.
As an athlete, Bui Luong was a record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m long-distance races of Vietnamese athletics. He holds the record of winning first place in nine participations in the Tien Phong Newspaper National Cross-Country Championship, including eight consecutive championships from 1967 to 1974.
After retiring from competitive athletics in 1977, Bui Luong studied at Bac Ninh University of Sports and Physical Education and transitioned to coaching. He attended the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to direct the professional performance of athletes Luu Van Hung and Dang Thi Teo. He was also part of the Vietnamese athletics coaching staff for the SEA Games from 2003 to 2009.
Bui Luong won the Tien Phong Newspaper Marathon Championship nine times in a row.
During his coaching career, Bui Luong mentored many renowned runners, including Dang Thi Teo, Le Van Hung, Doan Nu Truc Van, Nguyen Chi Dong, Nguyen Thi Hoa, Pham Thi Hien, Bui Thi Hien, Bui The Anh, Tran Van Loi, Hoang Nguyen Thanh, Lam Thi Thuy, and Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa.
In 2016, Coach Bui Luong was honored by the Organizing Committee of the Victory Cup with the Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first recipient of this prestigious accolade.
2020 marked the last year Bui Luong participated in coaching a high-performance athletics team (Binh Phuoc province). He lived in Hanoi with his family until his passing.
Vietnamnet.vn
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