The Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) and the Vietnam Athletics Federation (VAF) held a ceremony in Hanoi on September 19 to commend and reward track and field athletes for their achievements recorded at the recent Asian Games 2018 (ASIAD 2018). 

Coach of the athletics team Nguyen Manh Hieu speaks at the ceremony on September 19

At the event, VAF President Hoang Ve Dung said the Vietnamese athletics team excellently fulfilled their assigned tasks at the ASIAD 2018, with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals, and breaking three national records.

Vietnam was the only country in Southeast Asian bagging the gold medal in athletics at the event, he said, adding that this was also the first time Vietnam’s athletics had won a valuable gold medal in the long jump.

Dung expressed his wish that after the games, track and field coaches and athletes will continue to promote their unyielding combat spirit and improving professional skills, towards high achievements at other sports events at home and abroad.

VSA deputy head Tran Duc Phan spoke highly of the Vietnamese athletics team’s ASIAD 2018 achievements, hoping that they will fulfill all targets set for 2018 and the following years as well as overcome all difficulties to gain higher attainments in the coming time.

With their achievements at ASIAD 2018, besides an amount of money they received in Indonesia right after pocketing the gold, the team will receive 370 million VND (15,800 USD) from sponsors.

Gold medalist Bui Thi Thu Thao got 200 million VND and 1,000 USD while her coach Nguyen Manh Hieu was granted 50 million VND.

Vietnam sent 523 people, including 352 athletes, to the ASIAD 2018, which took place in Indonesia’s Jakarta and Palembang cities from August 18 to September 2.

It finished 17th out of 45 countries and territories in the medal tally of the continental sporting event, with four gold, 16 silver, and 18 bronze medals. 

The four golds of Vietnam were in pencak silat (men’s tanding 70-75 kg and 90-95 kg), women’s long jump and women’s lightweight quadruple sculls categories.

At the last ASIAD in 2014, Vietnam won one gold, 10 silver and 25 bronze medals, ranking 21st in the overall medal tally.-VNA