Coach born on September 2
Coach Tran Van Sy has a birthday on National Day, September 2. He once shared: I am honored that my birthday coincides with National Day. I am happy because every birthday, everyone congratulates me with the most meaningful emotions and I am very proud to be born on such an important day".
Coming to the age of 53 (born in 1972), coach Tran Van Sy once talked about having many memories of his playing days. One of the lifelong marks of this coach is the Silver Medal in the 800m event at the 19th SEA Games in 1997 in Indonesia. At the next 20th SEA Games in 1999, athlete Tran Van Sy competed in the 800m but did not win a medal. However, at that time, he was happy with the assigned task of running tactics to distract opponents to help his teammate Phan Van Hoa finish to win the Gold Medal.
Referring to the memories, coach Tran Van Sy said: Practice training helps me improve my skills as a coach. The medal at the 19th SEA Games shows that I also have an impression of professionalism". Coach Tran Van Sy affirmed that he wants to devote all his efforts to training to help his students achieve high results for the country's athletics.
In 2011, coach Tran Van Sy began participating in the coaching staff of the Vietnam Athletics Team. Nearly 15 years of working in the environment The Vietnam Athletics Team, through his hands, has many athletes who have achieved outstanding results. Among them, Nguyen Thi Oanh is an athlete with the mark of coach Tran Van Sy. However, Mr. Sy has never talked about himself. He only shared that teachers and students should understand each other in their expertise to strive to practice and compete in order to be successful. In addition to Nguyen Thi Oanh, faces like Nguyen Trung Cuong or Pham Thi Hong Le, Le Tien Long, Do Quoc Luat... are also students who achieved good results when working with this teacher.
After nearly 15 years of working in Hanoi (where the Vietnam Athletics Team trained), coach Tran Van Sy has devoted himself to coaching and has been quiet behind the athletes. At the same time, coach Tran Van Sy also ensures professional tasks for the Thanh Hoa management unit. "I am lucky to have my family's support for my work. A solid rear end helps me work wholeheartedly to bring professional achievements," said coach Tran Van Sy.
Always moved when students break records
Coach Tran Van Sy has a habit of never standing on the finish line to direct his students during competition. He often chooses the right position on the pitch to give tactical reminders to athletes. This coach said that finishing is the final stage of the race, so the teacher had to adjust the tactics for the students before achieving success.
At My Dinh National Athletics Stadium at the 31st SEA Games in 2022, the scream of coach Tran Van Sy clearly pointed at student Nguyen Thi Oanh in the 3,000m final with the obstacle: "Jump in. Preparing to accelerate. Go round.... These are professional terms that only teachers and students understand. At the end of the competition, Nguyen Thi Oanh won the Gold Medal and broke the Congress record with a time of 9 minutes 52 seconds 44.
At the 2025 Asian Athletics Championship (May 2025) in Korea, the direction of coach Tran Van Sy brought efficiency to Nguyen Thi Oanh to compete in the 5,000m distance and broke the national record with a time of 15 minutes 46 seconds 11. Also in Korea, student Nguyen Trung Cuong achieved 8 minutes 38 seconds 25 in the men's 3,000m hurdles event, breaking the national record.
Coach Tran Van Sy affirmed that he was happy to see his students break their competition record. That reflects that teachers and students have actively practiced to achieve the expected results.
Every record that is set and then surpassed is what makes athletics interesting and attractive. I consider athletes who break national records as having fulfilled their tasks, which is to help them achieve their best potential. Many times I see my students surpassing themselves, I feel happier with the position they have achieved. That's what athletics is like!, coach Tran Van Sy confided.
Many generations of athletes under coach Nguyen Van Sy have set national records. After each of those results, the teacher directly congratulated the students but continued to challenge them to overcome the threshold to make them more successful.
Searching for forever milestones
In terms of professional achievements, the content team coached by coach Tran Van Sy is winning many Gold Medals for the Vietnam Athletics Team at many recent SEA Games. Two years ago, athlete Nguyen Thi Oanh created a prominent milestone to win 4 Gold Medals at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia.
The results of the assessment show that Oanh is the first athlete in Vietnam to do so. At the central stadium at the 32nd SEA Games at that time, coach Tran Van Sy was on duty right on the piste to grasp his students' ability to compete. When Nguyen Thi Oanh reached the finish line, Mr. Sy breathed a sigh of relief.
In his career, coach Tran Van Sy has accompanied his students to participate in the SEA Games, ASIAD, Asian Championship, World Championship. The coach has always thought that each tournament will bring him an experience to improve his coaching skills.
He confirmed: "Membership achievements are something that is appreciated in terms of expertise. After each Gold Medal, I always ask them to still aim for the arena further to make their mark. Just like that, under his hands, student Nguyen Thi Oanh won the Bronze Medal at the 18th ASIAD in 2018.
In his stories, coach Tran Van Sy affirmed that he always cherishes his students to surpass the threshold of achieving the highest achievement index to leave an impression for life.
This year, Mr. Sy has developed a professional plan and strategy for his students to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. Next, the key faces continue to aim to attend ASIAD 20 in 2026.
The two arenas have important professional significance, but this coach completely knows how to make his athletes comfortable and confident in preparing for competition. In addition to training, we also have to understand students to keep their balance. That is to relieve pressure to avoid stiffness. When starting to practice, my students may have to run dozens of kilometers a day, but when adjusting, we have to know when to help them gain professional confidence.
Teachers and students who understand each other in both expertise and personality will create a very good coordination in practice and I always believe that my students will achieve success if they have the highest determination, coach Tran Van Sy added.
