Fierce race
Vietnamese sports aim for ASIAD 20 with the goal of winning 4 or more Gold Medals. This is an indicator built on the basis of assessing the force, recent competition results and the competitiveness of key sports. However, the challenge lies not only in maintaining the performance of athletes but also in the progress of leading Asian sports.
According to Mr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet - Director of the Vietnam Sports Administration, the preparation for ASIAD 20 has been carried out in the direction of reviewing forces, evaluating each content and identifying specific competitiveness instead of setting targets according to expectations.
We have prepared fully and done the best we can. Athletes and coaches are both very determined. We do not expect luck but rely on our strength, but hopefully luck combined with determination and available strength will help achieve results" - Mr. Viet said.
One of the bases for Vietnamese sports to set a target of 4-6 Gold Medals is the improvement in expertise of many athletes. Current technical parameters are rated better than previous ASIADs. However, this is only part of the achievement problem.
The indicators of the athletes are relatively good at this moment. Even compared to previous ASIADs, our technical parameters are better. But how to perform on the court and whether other countries' athletes will surpass or not is a story we have to calculate. Here, we speak entirely based on technical parameters, while reality depends on competition psychology and a bit of luck" - Director of the Department of Physical Education and Sports emphasized.
At ASIAD, Asian sports powers such as China, South Korea, Japan or even Thailand all have good training systems and strong investments, and constantly adjust their forces for major arenas.
Mr. Viet emphasized: "On the opponent's side, if we try, foreign athletes will also try, if we invest, they will also invest. The issue is to choose which time and invest in what".
This is also the reason why the sports industry must choose to invest in key sports instead of spreading resources. The preparation process is carried out through screening, assessing forces and identifying contents that are likely to compete for medals.
One medal problem per subject
Reality at ASIAD shows that Vietnamese sports' chances of winning Gold Medals in each sport are different.
With shooting, Vietnamese sports has the ability to compete for Gold Medals in some events, but the volatility of this sport makes it difficult to guarantee results before the tournament takes place. A Gold Medal in shooting at ASIAD even has great professional value, because this is an area that gathers many of the world's leading shooters.
With sepak takraw, a big challenge comes from Thailand. If the two teams meet in the gold medal competition, Vietnam must overcome opponents with high foundation and class. Volleyball is also in the group of difficult sports to predict, when the Vietnamese women's team once won a SEA Games Silver Medal but still had to face Thailand with top regional level.
Athletics poses another problem. Vietnam has a basis for competition in some events, but the gap with the leading group in Asia still makes the opportunity to be assessed at a balanced level. The 4x400m women's relay achievement that once brought home a Gold Medal in the continental arena is a positive sign, but it is necessary to look at the actual strength of the opponents.
Mr. Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet said that it is not advisable to only rely on previous achievements to assess opportunities at ASIAD 20. The fact that some countries have not used their strongest forces in previous tournaments may cause the balance to change when entering the congress.
