Seven Vietnamese athletes, including five men and two women, are competing at the Challengers Cup 2012 International Gymnastics Tournament, which opened on June 9 in Ghent, Belgium.  



The tournament has attracted 174 athletes from 39 countries, including powerhouses Romania and China.

Nguyen Thi Kim Lan, head of the Vietnamese delegation, said the international event offers a good chance for the Vietnamese athletes to learn more about their rivals and gain experience to prepare for bigger tournaments such as the upcoming Olympics in London and the Asian Championships.

Two of the Vietnamese gymnasts, Nguyen Ha Thanh and Pham Phuoc Hung, have already earned places in the final rounds of the vault and parallel bars events.

This is the second time Vietnam has attended the annual tournament in Belgium, which has been held by Belgian Gymnastics Federation since 2004.

VOV