VietNamNet Bridge – Twenty-nine members of the Vietnam sports contingent will arrive in Nanjing, China on August 13 for the second Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG), taking place from August 16-28.

Ahead of departure, Director Tran Duc Phan of the High Performance Sports Department, who leads the Vietnam delegation, shared information with home fans on the team’s preparations for the Games.

 

 

{keywords}

Director Tran Duc Phan of the High Performance Sports Department leads the Vietnam YOG delegation. 

 

How have Vietnamese athletes prepared for the 2014 YOG?

Vietnam preparations are almost complete for the Nanjing YOG. The qualified athletes, who receive domestic training, are mostly gathering at the national sports training centres in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Among the Olympians are three from Hanoi (two in weightlifting and one in rowing), three from Da Nang (two in beach volleyball and one in taekwondo), and five from HCM City (three in swimming, one in weightlifting and one in gymnastics), plus another HCM City athlete training in his locality.

As many as 13 Vietnamese juniors have won YOG qualification in seven out of its 28 sports, namely weightlifting, swimming, gymnastics, taekwondo, badminton, rowing and beach volleyball. In addition, three Vietnamese wushu martial artists have also been invited by the organising board to perform during the Games.

Some of the qualified athletes, who pursued overseas training, have also returned home and are practising at one of the above-mentioned centres. All athletes have been ensured the best accommodation and healthcare services, as well as sufficient training equipment.

According to the latest reports from the training boards, most of the YOG athletes have been closely following their training schedules. They are all stable in both health and achievement indicators. Apart from competing in qualification contests, key athletes were also sent to compete in regional and continental tournaments, aiming to accumulate experience and improve their competitive spirit. Particularly, during the training process, some athletes made a lot of improvements in terms of achievements, notably talented swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien.

What are Vietnam’s targets for the YOG?

YOG is a playground for juniors, hence the main goal of the Vietnam sports contingent is to promote international exchange and integration in terms of sports among the youth, aiming to tighten solidarity between countries in the region. It does not mean that we do not take account of achievements. The achievements obtained by our athletes in recent international competitions have approached YOG medal levels in some of the seven YOG sports, such as swimming, weightlifting and taekwondo.

However, there are no specific medal goals set for the Vietnam team in the Nanjing YOG due to many objective reasons. We can only affirm that our young Olympians are performing with appropriate expertise and have determined to do their best to bring glory to the homeland.

Another key goal Vietnam sport has targeted from the 2014 YOG arena is to evaluate the situation of youth development in each sport, thereby working out suitable orientations in preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.

Thank you for the interview!

 
 

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format. The first summer version was held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, while the first winter version was held in Innsbruck, Austria from 13 to 22 January 2012. The age limitation of the athletes is 14 to 18.

The sports contested at the Youth Games are the same as those scheduled for the traditional Games, but with some adaptations, and a limited number of disciplines and events. Most contestants must attend qualification tournaments held for their respective regions to book YOG slots, while a few receive wild cards.

The biggest slogan of the YOG is to connect youth from around the world, aiming to boost exchanges, mutual understanding and solidarity among youths of different countries, regardless of the poverty gap, race and political regimes.

 

Nhan Dan/VNN