Always smiling brightly when chatting and as if maintaining friendliness in communication, that is what everyone clearly sees in karate martial artist Dinh Thi Huong.
Dinh Thi Huong's accurate attack helped her beat her opponent Songklin Kewalin (Thailand) 2-0 in the women's 68kg final, winning a gold medal at the 2026 Southeast Asian Championships.
Leaving the floor after winning the final, Dinh Thi Huong confided: "This is a very emotional result for me. I won a gold medal when competing at home.
For any athlete, winning international achievements at home is always a great value from expertise to spirit.
Following this success, on the last day of July 12 in Ninh Binh, Dinh Thi Huong won another team kumite gold medal to complete 2 victories for herself at the 2026 Southeast Asian Championships.
Growing up from the Hanoi Sports environment, Dinh Thi Huong was early discovered for coaches to develop her karate expertise.
In her achievement baggage, she has achieved many imprints in Southeast Asian, Asian and ASIAD arenas.
Entering the age of 26, Dinh Thi Huong is the most experienced athlete among the female kumite martial artists of the Vietnam Karate Team. Therefore, many athletes see Dinh Thi Huong as a senior, a leader for everyone to follow.
I started competing in some international tournaments at the youth level from 2016. For me, through each tournament, I accumulate more expertise and learn a lot about techniques to improve my performance better," Dinh Thi Huong once expressed.
In 2019, this Hanoi girl competed in the Southeast Asian Games for the first time.
In her participation in SEA Games 30 in the Philippines, Dinh Thi Huong won a silver medal in the 50kg weight class. At SEA Games 31 held in 2022 in Vietnam, Dinh Thi Huong won a bronze medal.
However, in the last 2 SEA Games 32, 33, Dinh Thi Huong maintained brilliant form, both winning individual gold medals in the women's 68kg category.
“I returned to the gymnasium in Ninh Binh to participate in the 2026 Southeast Asian Championships with confidence in my expertise. Four years ago, the pair only had a bronze medal at the 31st SEA Games held here. Now, I am changing my performance, having a gold medal,” Dinh Thi Huong added.
Three years ago, Dinh Thi Huong won one of the most prestigious achievements in her career, a bronze medal at ASIAD 19 held in Hangzhou (China). That was the first time Dinh Thi Huong participated in the Asian Games arena and managed to leave her mark with the 3rd place in the women's 68kg event.
The victory at the 2026 Southeast Asian Championships is a great spiritual support to help Dinh Thi Huong and many Vietnamese karate athletes be more confident in preparing for the upcoming ASIAD 20.
However, Dinh Thi Huong herself also expressed that ASIAD is a harsh competition, even more fierce than the Asian Championship.
She said she is very focused on striving to achieve the best results true to her form.
