Slim Prospects
Despite an impressive medal haul at the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi in 2022, Vietnam’s sporting chief, Tran Duc Phan, had tempered expectations for the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris 2024 Olympics. And those modest goals proved well-founded.
At the Asian Games, Vietnam managed just three golds, while at the Olympics, young shooter Trinh Thu Vinh carried the nation’s hopes. The 24-year-old reached two finals, but a medal proved elusive, highlighting the gap to the world’s best.
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| Vietnamese shooter Trinh Thu Vinh takes aim at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Photo: Reuters |
Vietnam’s other athletes were far off the pace. Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang, a multiple SEA Games gold medalist, failed to make an impact, while weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh couldn’t even lift a weight successfully. Badminton players and boxers also fell short.
Vietnam sent its smallest team to Paris since 2012, and the results showed a nation struggling to compete on the biggest stage.
Reality Check
The Tokyo 2020 and Hangzhou 2022 events delivered a wake-up call to Vietnamese sports fans. Hoang Xuan Vinh’s heroics in Rio in 2016, where he won gold and silver, had raised expectations, but they proved to be a one-off.
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| Hoang Xuan Vinh on the podium at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo: Reuters |
Shooting has brought some successes, including a gold at the Asian Games and some bright moments in Paris. But Vietnam is far from a powerhouse, even regionally, as shown by Indonesia’s superior showing in Hangzhou.
Once a strength, weightlifting has declined, with no Vietnamese lifter medaling since London 2012. In Paris, Vietnam’s lifters were outperformed by regional rivals, underlining their fall from grace.
A Bleak Outlook
The Paris Olympics laid bare Vietnam’s struggles in key sports. Athletics, swimming, and weightlifting, traditional power events, all failed to produce standout athletes.
With a small contingent and few prospects, Vietnam’s sporting future looks uncertain. A rethink is needed to ensure the nation can compete on the regional and global stages.
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