Taking advantage of a few minutes after high-intensity training hours, from Thailand, captain Le Tien Dung shared with Lao Dong his feelings about being called up to a national team for the first time and being the captain.
Honoring, but the responsibility is heavy because the teams are all very strong and regularly compete and practice this sailing sport.
SSL47 is a large, 47-foot-long boat (about 14m) that requires high techniques, good physical strength and a tight team spirit to handle complex situations at sea, especially when encountering big waves and strong winds.
The SSL47 Vietnam sailing boat team consists of 12 members, mostly from clubs in Tuan Chau, Ho Chi Minh City and 4 athletes of the national team. Ahead of the 33rd SEA Games, the whole team had a long training session in Thailand, along with regional opponents such as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar.
According to captain Le Tien Dung, theSS47 Vietnam sailing team is one of the teams with the least experience. In the first days at sea, strong winds overwhelmed many athletes. But with discipline and determination for the flag and shirt colors, after many days of training, the whole team has been proficient in the movements, sailing control... as well as coordinating more well to master the boat, even in strong winds.
Captain Le Tien Dung said that the journey with SSL47 at the 33rd SEA Games is a long way, where the immediate results are important, but not all. The further goal is to build a sustainable team with enough capacity for long-term development, towards bigger playgrounds in the future.
Born in 1985, in Ha Long, Quang Ninh province, Le Tien Dung left his hometown when he was in high school to go to Malaysia to live with his mother. It was here that the sea "keeps" him. His stepfather is Malaysian - a famous sailing racer, and also manages an international sailing club with hundreds of boats and thousands of members. From the sessions of following his father-in-law to sea, Dung learned to read the wind, feel the waves and understand that sailing is not only a sport, but a way of life.
For many years, before returning home to work in 2008, he was involved in sailing races everywhere. Even after returning to Vietnam, he still regularly went to Malaysia to compete, until the COVID-19 pandemic caused international activities to be temporarily suspended.
In 2020, Le Tien Dung and a friend from Ha Long decided to build a sports sailing fleet in Ha Long Bay. His initial capital was a sailing boat brought from Malaysia. Since then, the team has gradually grown as new members join the boat.
Occasionally, captain Le Tien Dung and his teammates still participate in sailing races at sea in countries in the region.
The SSL47 Vietnam sailing race at the 33rd SEA Games will last from December 15-18, Pattaya, Chonburi, with a series of 5 fierce races, ending with a medal race. Each team will use the SSL47 boat with identical designs, ensuring skills, tactics and coordination to decide the result, promising intense and tactical races.
This content is of special interest because the Thai sailing fleet has the participation of the Queen of this country - Ms. Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana.
