Vietnam will be represented by 13 athletes in seven sport events, including badminton, gymnastics, taekwondo, dancesport, weightlifting, swimming and track and field, at the upcoming 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Argentina.
Vietnamese taekwondo artist Ho Thi Kim Ngan (second from right) clinches the women's under-44kg title at the 2016 world youth championships in Canada.
The Vietnamese qualifiers include Nguyen Hai Dang and Vu Thi Anh Thu (badminton); Nguyen Van Khanh Phong and Pham Nhu Phuong (gymnastics); Ho Thi Kim Ngan (taekwondo); Le Minh Hieu (dancesport); Nguyen Thi Thu Trang and Ngo Son Dinh (weightlifting); Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vo Thi Phuong Anh and Pham Thanh Bao (swimming); and Le Tien Long and Doan Thu Hang (track and field).
Accordingly, the 2018 YOG, the third event of its kind, will be hosted in Buenos Aires from October 6 to 18, featuring competitors aged between 14-18 from more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
According to Tran Duc Phan, deputy head of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training and head of the Vietnam YOG delegation, Vietnam will strive for at least one gold medal in Argentina, with its greatest hopes pinned on swimming, weightlifting and taekwondo.
In the two previous versions of the Games, Vietnam won a total of two gold, two silver and two bronze medals.
At the 2010 event in Singapore, weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan, 16 at the time, brought home a gold medal for Vietnam in the men’s 56kg category, while other Vietnamese athletes secured one silver (taekwondo) and two bronzes (taekwondo and badminton).
Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien was named the women’s 200m medley champion at the 2014 Nanjing YOG, alongside a silver medal won by weightlifter Nguyen Tran Anh Tuan.
As planned, the Vietnam sport delegation will depart for the Argentina 2018 YOG on October 2.
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