VietNamNet Bridge – New ASEAN sprint queen Le Tu Chinh is heading to conquer a new challenge later this month at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Turkmenistan.

Le Tu Chinh will compete in the fifth AIMAG in Turkmenistan later this month. — VNA/VNS Photo Quoc Khanh

Chinh, who bagged three gold medals at the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia last month, will take part in the women’s 60m event in her AIMAG debut.

“It is my first time at this continental tournament, and the event is not familiar to me. However, my target is to get my highest result, which will help me have a successful 2017,” said Chinh.

Apart from Chinh, swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien is also a gold hope for Viet Nam.

Vien was the most prolific athlete in Viet Nam’s SEA Games team, winning eight golds and two silvers in Kuala Lumpur.

Other Vietnamese participants at the AIMAG are swimmer and SEA Games record holder Nguyen Huu Kim Son, world taekwondo poomsae champion Chau Tuyet Van, chess grandmaster Le Quang Liem, seven-time world muay winner Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, and Asian billiard champion Nguyen Quoc Nguyen.

The fifth AIMAG will be held from September 17 to 27.

Viet Nam’s team of 194 athletes, under deputy chief of National Sports Administration Tran Duc Phan, will take part in 14 of the 21 sports categories, including athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, chess and futsal.

As in the previous Games, the team aims to be among the top three. The event will attract thousands of competitors from 45 countries and territories in Asia, 17 delegations from Oceania and seven associate members of the Oceania National Olympic Committees.

In its 2013 edition in South Korea, Viet Nam pocketed eight golds, seven silvers and 12 bronzes, ranking third, behind China and the hosts.

Viet Nam hosted the tournament in 2009 and finished second after China with 42 golds. 

VNS