VietNamNet Bridge – Shooting has been always a focus for Viet Nam in regional sport events. At the forthcoming 16th Asian Games (ASIAD) the team has been tasked with snatching a gold medal.

Locked and loaded: Hoang Xuan Vinh is expected to shoot well

at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. (Photo: VNS)

In the previous Games four years ago in Qatar, Viet Nam won one silver and four bronze medals, which was regarded as poor performance by the country, which has held a strong position shooting competitions in the region for decades.

Leading sports officials believe that Viet Nam could take gold this year in Guangzhou. Nguyen Duc Uynh, general secretary of the Viet Nam Shooting Federation, said Viet Nam would field its strongest line-up at the Games.

"We've given them chances to compete in different tournaments in preparation for the ASIAD. Taking into account the work since 2009, we've set a target of taking gold at this tournament," Uynh said.

The team's preparations have entirely been focused on ASIAD, and they have had no time to relax since last December's Southeast Asian Games.

Apart from ten domestic tournaments, key members were sent to practise and compete in a range of international competitions.

The team has been equipped with International Shooting Sport Federation standard guns and uniforms.

World No 1 coach Liu Bing, who guided China to victory at the Beijing Olympics, was invited to coach Viet Nam.

According to head coach Nguyen Thi Nhung, 60 per cent of the national team is now composed of young shooters, but veterans such as Nguyen Manh Tuong, Tran Quoc Cuong, Pham Cao Son and Dang Hong Ha will form the backbone of the medal assault at ASIAD.

Nhung said that experience and competitive spirit accounted for 80 per cent of a shooter's success. Marksmen needed time to perfect their skills, technique and especially master their nerves during competition. These elements could only be found among veteran shooters.

Marksman Quoc Cuong is widely tipped to do well, after his fourth place finish at the Munich Shooting Cup in May. Cuong who competed in the men's 50m pistol made history, as he recorded Viet Nam's best ever result at an international tournament.

The former record was held by veteran Manh Tuong, who had taken sixth place.

His teammate Hoang Xuan Vinh grabbed a sixth place at the recent world championship in the men's 25m centre-fire pistol event with 584 points, putting him second among Asian competitors, sitting only behind North Korea's Ryu Myong-yon.

The world championship was a real challenge for the Vietnamese. However, Vinh's result reinforced the progress the team has made, and raised hopes of winning a gold in Guangzhou, among an Asian-only field.

The 28 member-team will start shooting on Saturday, a day after the opening ceremony, and finish on November 24 at the Guangzhou Shotgun Centre. Forty-four medal-sets are available to be won.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News