The five gold medals at Asiad 18 belonged to runners Bui Thi Thu Thao and Quach Thi Lan (athletics), Tran Dinh Nam, Nguyen Van Tri (pencak silat) and Ta Thanh Huyen, Luong Thi Thao, Ho Thi Ly, Pham Thi Thao (rowing).

However, most of the athletes have no chance or will have difficulty defending their gold medals at Asiad 19. Notably, runner Quach Thi Lan is still banned for doping, while pencak silat and the rowing category of the four girls is not in the competition program, while runner Bui Thi Thu Thao has passed her peak. 

Vietnam has set a modest goal of winning 2-5 gold medals from sepak takraw, cycling, weightlifting, karate, shooting, archery and Chinese chess.

In addition to these sports, Vietnam has high hopes for swimming, athletics, chess, table tennis, gymnastics, boxing, wushu, judo and taekwondo.

The athletes who can win medals are Le Quang Liem (chess), women's 4x400m relay team, runner Nguyen Thi Oanh, Duong Thuy Vi (wushu), and the quartet of Nguyen Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thi Hang, Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Hoang Thi Minh Hanh, who just won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships.

According to Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration Dang Ha Viet, who is head of the Vietnamese sports delegation to ASIAD 2023, after a period of active and serious preparations, the Vietnamese delegation is confident and ready to attend ASIAD 19 with the highest determination.

Since the beginning of the year, the administration has coordinated with relevant authorised units to soon select athletes to join the national teams. Among them, there are athletes who competed successfully and obtained high achievements at the recent SEA Games 32, especially in Olympic and ASIAD sports groups, according to the official.

The results at SEA Games 32 are an important foundation, creating a driving force to help athletes continue to maintain and further promote their professional skills in this continental arena. The sector has sent excellent athletes to train abroad and compete in domestic and international tournaments to improve professional skills.

Each member of the delegation attending ASIAD 19 has the desire to achieve the best results and efforts to contribute to strengthen solidarity, friendship, cooperation and development with countries in the continent, he added.

Viet said that the Vietnamese athletes will have to compete with strong opponents from leading countries in the continent such as Japan, the Republic of Korea or the host China at the Games. Vietnam has just achieved good results and affirmed its position in Southeast Asia, however there are still gaps in Olympic sport groups at ASIAD.

In addition to key sports, Vietnam will also compete in new sports such as E-Sports, Soft tennis and Breaking, among others. The athletes hope to contribute to Asian sports, thereby promoting other Vietnamese sports like Vovinam, he said.

Regarding to anti-doping work, Viet said that it is the most important issue that the sector has always paid special attention to. Training courses on anti-doping for athletes have been opened in 63 provinces and cities. 

According to the regulations of the 19th ASIAD Organising Committee, all athletes must have an ADEL (anti-doping education and learning platform) certificate issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to attend the Games. This is the latest regulation and will be applied not only from ASIAD 19 but also at all multi-sport events at continental and world levels in the future.

Asiad 19 will take place in Hangzhou, China from September 23 through October 8. Some sports such as football will start from September 19. Asiad 19 has 40 sports (481 categories). Vietnam will send 337 athletes to compete in 31 sports. 

Dai Nam