granting faith in youth
The coaching staff of the Vietnam Athletics Team decided to give Ta Ngoc Tuong an official spot to participate in the 33rd SEA Games. This year, Ta Ngoc Tuong turned 20 years old. With this valuable competition spot, Ta Ngoc Tuong is one of the youngest Vietnamese athletes to compete in Thailand in December. The player expressed: "I have maintained stable performance this year. After the 2025 National Championship, I was informed by the coaching staff that I will have the opportunity to participate in the 33rd SEA Games. Since then, I have been actively preparing professionally to be ready to compete.
At present, Ta Ngoc Tuong is being professionally trained according to the closed training program at the training site of the Vietnam Athletics Team in Bac Ninh. The training sessions before the 33rd SEA Games aim to perfect each technique and speed so that Ta Ngoc Tuong can accelerate most effectively.
The coaching staff of the Vietnam Athletics Team and the managers have a professional basis to award the 33rd SEA Games spot to this player from Phu Tho. One of Ngoc Tuong's strengths is his confidence in competition.
In each tournament from the youth level to the National level, we have closely followed Ngoc Tuong and seen athletes with clear professional changes. In particular, the spirit of entering the competition is very confident, not much influenced by external factors. Therefore, Ngoc Tuong has been successful at many youth levels and won a Gold Medal at the 2025 National Championship, said Mr. Nguyen Duc Nguyen - Head of Athletics (Vietnam Department of Physical Education and Sports).
In some conversations, when asked whether a big arena like the 33rd SEA Games would put pressure and nervousness on her or not?", Ta Ngoc Tuong laughed, saying that she had thorough professional training and was determined to compete at the best level. Certainly, a big international tournament always gives me a different feeling. It is not true to say that there is no danger. But I believe in my ability to compete in the best secret way, Ta Ngoc Tuong expressed.
Do not allow subjectivity
Ta Ngoc Tuong was directly trained by Bulgarian expert and Mr. Simeonov from his time as an athlete of the Vietnam Youth Athletics Team to his current member of the Vietnam Athletics Team. The two teachers and students have competed in many tournaments. This experienced teacher imparted appropriate professional lesson plans to bring rapid development to Ta Ngoc Tuong's legs.
The men's 400m final at the 2025 National Athletics Championship saw Ta Ngoc Tuong win the Gold Medal for the first time with a time of 45 seconds and 59. As soon as they finish, the young player can still look at the electronic scoreboard.
Because the 45 second and 59 second parameters were officially recognized as a new national record when breaking the old record that existed 10 years ago, 45 seconds 99, of Quach Cong Lich. Experts carefully analyzed that Ta Ngoc Tuong is the athlete who inherited the best professional achievements in the 400m event that Vietnam Athletics has, after Quach Cong Lich retired from competition.
In terms of expertise, the 45 second and 59 second result of Ta Ngoc Tuong surpassed the gold medal in the men's 400m at the 32nd and 46th SEA Games in 2023, 34 seconds, of player Umar (Malaysia). The result is also approaching the 400m Gold Medal at the 19th, 45th, and 55th ASIAD, by athlete Yousef Masrahi (Saudi Arabia).
Each index is a correlational comparison result. Ngoc Tuong is a young athlete with potential. However, the coaches and I are still cautious with him. In particular, we must know ourselves and our opponents to ensure the best results, analyzed expert Simeonov.
As for player Ngoc Tuong, he understands: "I always learn a lot from my seniors as well as carefully absorb the coach's training plans. I just keep in mind that when competing, I have to try my best at my best. Every athlete has strengths. I am not allowed to be subjective.
Experts Simeonov assessed that with good physique and effective acceleration, Ta Ngoc Tuong has the opportunity to conquer tournaments in Southeast Asia and the continent. However, this experienced teacher does not understand what points need to be promoted for Ngoc Tuong in the preparation stage for the 33rd SEA Games.
Therefore, Ta Ngoc Tuong's training program is guaranteed to be confidential. If other content groups of the Vietnam Athletics Team have chosen the environmental change training program in the past, Ta Ngoc Tuong will still be trained in Bac Ninh. The requirement is still for Ngoc Tuong to complete his speed.
Art will decide the actual results. Ta Ngoc Tuong's indicators are still regularly reported for us to grasp in order to make predictions when preparing for the 33rd SEA Games," Mr. Nguyen Duc Nguyen added.
Each tournament is a challenge
Vietnam Athletics has built a long-term development plan for some promising young athletes in the period of 2025 - 2030. In which, Ta Ngoc Tuong was included in the list to prepare for investment in the future.
At the recent 31st and 32nd SEA Games, Vietnam's athletics did not win a Gold Medal in the men's 400m event. The manager will find personnel options to ensure the results of this competition. However, the opportunity to touch the Gold Medal at the 31st and 32nd SEA Games has not yet come to Vietnamese male athletes. Ta Ngoc Tuong is expected to do well in her profession to achieve the No. 1 position in the men's 400m event at the 33rd SEA Games.
This year, Ta Ngoc Tuong was tested at the 2025 Asian Championship (played in Korea, May 2025). Against the continental top athletes in the men's 400m distance, Ta Ngoc Tuong only achieved a result of 47 seconds 63 and stopped at the qualifying round.
Ta Ngoc Tuong recalled: The Asian Championship gave me a very valuable experience. I myself have learned what needs to be overcome to improve. Everyone knows that if they are not successful in a tournament, athletes must wait at least a year to have the opportunity to do it again. Therefore, the challenge of surpassing the threshold in important tournaments is very big".
As a young athlete of Vietnam's athletics, Ta Ngoc Tuong still needs more time to accumulate in big arenas. However, the Phu Tho runner always told himself that when competing, he will take advantage of the opportunity to accumulate the best experience for himself.
Vietnam Athletics has witnessed former athlete Quach Cong Lich winning many domestic championships and some prizes at the continental level. However, Quach Cong Lich has never won a Gold Medal in the individual event (400m, 400m men's hurdles) at the SEA Games arena. That shows that the Southeast Asian Games has a harsh competition in expertise.
Ta Ngoc Tuong will begin her journey to compete in the Southeast Asian Games with the 33rd SEA Games. The goal of the players is to win the highest medal. The challenge is also the motivation for Ta Ngoc Tuong to conquer because after the SEA Games, there will be the next big arenas, including the ASIAD.
