Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien poses with the national flag and one of her gold medal grabbed at the 30th SEA Games. Photo nld.com.vn

Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien is one of them and the Can Tho Province native is targeting an Olympic berth after a stellar Southeast Asian (SEA) Games performance last year.

“Vien will practice locally and take part in a range of short training courses as well as compete in tournaments abroad to improve her abilities,” said Vuong Bich Thang, head of the Vietnam Sports Administration.

“She is one of the key athletes to be strongly supported for Olympic duty. We hope she will win slots in the 200m medley and 400m medley which are her strong points, or backstroke which she is really good at,” said Thang.

Weightlifter Hoang Thi Duyen was also born in the Year of the Rat and won three gold medals from the Rome Weightlifting World Cup two days ago.

While the Giay ethnic minority girl is not as decorated as Vien, there are high hopes for her.

Duyen worked hard for six years since her first day with weightlifting in 2012 before winning a silver medal at the World Championship’s 59kg category in 2018.

She then triumphed at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in her debut last year in the Philippines.

Duyen and teammates trained hard during Tet (Lunar New Year) for the Rome event and she made a hat-trick of titles.

She is now one of the world top eight lifters in her category.

Duyen will have one more task at April’s Asian championships to secure a berth at the Tokyo Olympics.

Duyen said the World Cup win was a strong push for her. She will have to do her best in the Asian event if she wants to make a bang at the Olympics.

Rat runner Nguyen Thi Oanh is one of the country's top best track-and-field athletes and won three individual golds in December’s SEA Games. She also set a new record of 10min 0.02sec in the 3,000m steeplechase, an event she won bronze in at the Asian Games in 2018.

Oanh expects to run in the Olympics in this event too if she can pass the qualification time of 9.30min.

“I always want to contribute all of my ability for the nation’s sport. My biggest dream is to experience the Olympic atmosphere,” she said.

Meanwhile, Year of the Rat-born midfielder Phan Van Duc has made his comeback to the field after nearly a year of absence due to injury.

Duc, who tied the knot with his girlfriend yesterday in Nghe An Province, was a key player in the squads that won the AFF Cup and a silver at the AFC U23 tournament in 2018.

Midfielder Phan Van Duc back in action after injury. He expects to find a berth in the national team in the coming World Cup qualifiers. Photo nld.com.vn

A knee injury prevented him from joining the national team at the recent 2022 World Cup qualification matches as well as the young squad at the SEA Games.

“I had to rest from both club and national teams for a long time. In the Year of Rat, I wish best things for myself and friends,” said the midfielder who has trained with Song Lam Nghe An FC ahead of the new season.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang of Nghe An said the return of the 23-year-old would strengthen for his club but also the national team.

Other athletes of the Rat year are expected to shine in 2020 include national football defender Do Duy Manh; karate artist Trang Cam Lanh; SEA Games pencak silat champion Tran Thi Them; SEA Games winner-runner Pham Thi Hue; and rising badminton star Pham Cao Cuong. VNS

Swimmer Anh Vien to be honoured at 2019 SEA Games closing ceremony

Vietnamese decorated swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien will be honoured at the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games scheduled in New Clark City, the Philippines on December 11.  

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