Vietnam to field over 350 athletes in 2018 Asian Games

Vietnam has set a target of winning from three to five gold medals at the upcoming Asiad 18

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Ngoc Thien, signed a decision approving the establishment of the Vietnamese sporting delegation for the Asiad 18 campaign on July 26.

Accordingly, a contingent of more than 520 members, including 20 officials and 12 doctors, will be led by Tran Duc Phan, Deputy Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, and two deputy heads, Hoang Quoc Vinh and Nguyen Trong Ho, the respective directors of the High Performance Sports Departments 1 and 2.

A ceremony is scheduled to be held in Hanoi on the evening of August 9 to send off the Vietnamese Asiad delegation.

Deputy Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, Tran Duc Phan (centre, second row), heads the Vietnamese Asiad delegation. (Photo: zing.vn)

At the Asiad 18, Vietnam has set a target of winning from three to five gold medals, with the country’s “golden hopes” pinned on Bui Thi Thu Thao (track and field), Thach Kim Tuan (weightlifting), Nguyen Thi Anh Vien (swimming), Duong Thuy Vi (wushu) and Hoang Xuan Vinh (shooting), among some others.

Vietnam U23s are also expected to cause another footballing miracle following their fantastic run to the final match of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship earlier this year.

In the last two Asiad editions, Vietnam only managed to win a solitary gold, thanks to karate artist Le Bich Phuong (2010) and wushu fighter Duong Thuy Vi (2014).

The 2018 Asiad will commence on August 18 and conclude on September 2. The men’s football event kicks-off on August 10./.

NDO