VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Thanh Ngung still cannot believe that he will be the first Vietnamese athlete to compete in the walk event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Gearing up: Nguyen Thanh Ngung expects to have international training courses to improve his skills ahead of the Olympics. —Photo ngoisao.net

Things are still a dream for the young man whose best result was a silver at the tiny-scaled regional Southeast Asian Games.

Ngung and his older sister Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc were national representatives in Japan’s Asian 20km Race Walking Championship.

Phuc, the 2013 silver medallist, was expected to win her official berth based on her previous achievements and recent outstanding training performance, while Ngung was totally under her shadow.

As a great hope, Phuc was sponsored by the Viet Nam Sports Administration (VSA), to train at the state level for months before the tournament. However, Ngung was ignored. He could only travel to Nomi thanks to the financial support from Da Nang’s Elite Sports Training Centre, where he is working.

However, it was the underdog who grabbed the glory.

Phuc was disqualified from the tournament because of a technical error, while Ngung, despite not winning a single medal, passed the Olympic standard and will head to Rio de Janeiro this summer.

Ngung’s result of 1hr 23.29 min was much better than the standard bar of 1:24.00. He also set a new national record, beating the old one of 1:26.53 he set last year.

“I did not believe that I would make it because I did not train well, and in my plan there was no place for the Olympics this time, it should have been the next one. I am now living a dream,” Ngung said after crossing the line.

“My own target in Nomi was to break my national record. I was amazed that I could create a miracle,” he said.

Born in a poor family in Da Nang in 1992, Ngung took to sports at 14 not only because of his passion but also to reduce his parents’ burden.

Ngung followed Phuc, who at that time was better known in local and regional competitions, to train in walking. His sister became his idol and also his strong motivational force for him to practise. Ngung is also a good partner and encourages Phuc a lot when they train.

After six years, Ngung competed in the national championship for the first time and grabbed a bronze medal. One year later he jumped to the top and has dominated the event since then.

He was called to the national team in 2011 and sent to Indonesia for the 26th SEA Games where he pocketed a bronze medal. He claimed a silver two years later.

In the latest games last year, Ngung failed to be in top three because of injury.

“At first I took part in the Asian championship just for the experience and to support Phuc’s spirit as she shouldered some heavy duties to win an Olympic slot,” Ngung, who only focussed on his training two hours before the tournament, said.

“Like other athletes I too wanted to peak in my career. But the poor result at the 2015 Games in Singapore really made me sad. I knew it was difficult and I told myself that nothing was impossible. I had to prove my ability,” he said.

“During my walk event in Japan I saw my chance when looking at my rivals, and I did try my best,” Ngung said.

Walk it off: Nguyen Thanh Ngung competes in Japan’s Asian 20km Race Walk Championship. He won a slot at the summer Olympics in Brazil. —Photo by tournament organisers

Despite being the national champion, Ngung’s result could not persuade the national sports officials to list him as one of the potential athletes who would receive special support from the government as well as an allowance to compete in Japan.

Fortunately for him he is living in and competing for Da Nang, one of the localities which provides special attention to talented athletes.

The city decided to sponsor Ngung 100 per cent and he made it.

“I thought of nothing else, just walked and walked, and I ‘arrived’ in Brazil,” Ngung said.

“Ngung’s success shows his ability and the growth of national sports. He deserves to enjoy the treatment as a key athlete (just as his sister),” Tran Duc Phan, deputy head of the VSA, said.

Ngung said he was happy with the special treatment which helped him improve his nutrition regime and functional supplements.

He also expects to attend international training courses, especially at the South American destinations where the climate is similar to Brazil, to improve his results before taking part in the Olympics.

“Olympics will be very tough with the world leading athletes. I will try my best to improve my personal result,” Ngung said. He is now walking between 18km and 25km every day as part of his practice schedule.

With his official entry, it is the first time in Viet Nam’s sporting history that a brother and sister will be competing in the Olympics.

The Brazil Games are scheduled from August 5 to August 21. The walks and marathon start and finish in Flamengo Park and Sambodrome, respectively.

Khieu Thanh Ha

VNS