VietNamNet Bridge – The organizing board of the Olympic 2012 has left Vietnam out of the list of countries which receive wild cards because the country has had many athletes who win tickets in the qualifier round.

This is the first time Vietnam is to participate in the Olympics without wild cards, which are given to the countries with weak sports.

According to the new regulation of the Olympic organizing board, countries which have over six athletes who win tickets to the Olympic London 2012 in the qualifier round will not get wild cards.

The rules on wild cards at the Olympic 2012 are tightened to force countries to try their best in the qualifier round and prove their capability.

So far, eight Vietnamese athletes have won berths to the Olympics, including: gymnasts Phan Thi Ha Thanh and Pham Phuoc Hung, taekwondo artists Le Huynh Chau and Chu Hoang Dieu Linh, Judoka Van Ngoc Tu, marksmen Hoang Xuan Vinh and Pham Hoang Ngoc and walker Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc.

Earlier, Vietnam had asked for wild cards for table tennis, rowing, canoeing, swimming and track and field, but because of the new regulation, Vietnam will not get any wild card.

Vietnam will have to struggle to get more Olympic tickets at the upcoming qualifier rounds of other sports. Swimmer Hoang Quy Phuoc and badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh will surely have a card. Other big hopes of Vietnam are weightlifters Tran Le Quoc Toan and Thach Kim Tuan. They will take part in the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2012 in late April to compete for a card.

Vietnam joined the Olympics in 1980. Until 2000, the country had the two first athletes (taekwondo) who won cards to the Olympics. In 2008, Vietnam had eight sportsmen winning the official cards.

S. Tung