Inspired by Hoang Xuan Vinh statue
Shooter Pham Quang Huy won the 19th ASIAD gold medal, helping the Vietnamese Sports Delegation quench its thirst for gold. Photo: Quy Luong.
On the afternoon of September 28, shooter Pham Quang Huy competed excellently to bring home the first gold medal for the Vietnamese Sports Delegation at the 19th ASIAD, in the men's 10m air pistol event. In the final round, Quang Huy faced fierce competition from his opponents, especially shooter Lee Won-ho of Korea.
The turning point came to Quang Huy in the last two shots when he scored higher than his Korean opponent, thereby ranking first with 240.5 points. Lee Won-ho ranked second with 239.4 points. In addition to helping the Vietnamese Sports Delegation quench its "thirst" for gold at this year's Asian Games, Huy also made history by becoming the first Vietnamese shooter to win a gold medal at an ASIAD.
On the competition day of September 28, in addition to the gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event won by Pham Quang Huy and the bronze medal in the men's 10m air pistol team event, the Vietnamese Sports Delegation also won a silver medal thanks to gymnast Nguyen Khanh Phong in the rings event. In addition, there was a bronze medal won by swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang in the men's 800m freestyle event. As of the evening of September 28, the Vietnamese Sports Delegation had won 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals and 10 bronze medals, temporarily ranking 15th overall.
However, apart from being the son of two famous former shooters Pham Cao Son and Dang Thi Hang, Huy was almost unknown before the 19th ASIAD. The athlete born in 1996 has never won a SEA Games title, his best achievement at the continental level was the bronze medal at the Asian tournament won earlier this year.
However, according to the head coach of the Vietnam Shooting Team, Hoang Xuan Vinh, the fact that his 27-year-old student won the gold medal was not surprising: "Huy competed well, was mentally stable, demonstrated technical ability and strictly followed the tactics set by the coaching staff. With a little luck, he won the gold medal. This is also the result of the accumulation and inheritance process in the shooting team as well as Huy himself."
Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung, former head coach of the Vietnamese shooting team, said that Huy is a potential athlete, a key player, but his experience and competitive ability are still limited.
"In 2017, Huy was called up to the national team, and in 2018 he was put on the priority list. He has good qualities, always trains consistently, but his achievements in the national team are not many. The ASIAD gold medal is therefore a surprise to many people, but not to me because I know Huy is capable of competing for a top medal," said Ms. Nhung.
As for himself, Pham Quang Huy shared that when entering the final round, he was a bit nervous so he didn't really start well. However, as the game progressed, he shot better and better.
"I tried to stay calm, put out of my mind the thought of whether I could do it or not, and focus completely on technique. Having coach Hoang Xuan Vinh, the Vietnamese shooting icon, sitting behind me also helped me to be more steady and confident," the ASIAD champion confided.
A very special point, the men's 10m air pistol is also the event that coach Hoang Xuan Vinh won at the 2016 Rio Olympics but failed at the 2010 ASIAD. Now, the student born in 1996 has helped his teacher continue his unfinished dream.
Son is better than father
To learn more about shooter Pham Quang Huy, Giao Thong Newspaper contacted former shooter Pham Cao Son.
During the conversation, Mr. Son could not hide his joy: "Before leaving for the ASIAD, I only hoped that my son would win a bronze medal, but I did not expect Huy to exceed the target. Sitting watching my son compete, my heart almost stopped beating, especially during the last bullets.
My wife didn't even dare to watch, only when she knew the result did she come out to look at her son, the two of us hugged each other to celebrate. Happy and proud that our son has brought glory to Vietnamese shooting in particular, and Vietnamese sports in general."
Mr. Son said that Huy had an advantage over his teammates because he had been exposed to the shooting range since he was 2 years old: "My wife and I used to practice at the National Sports Training Center in Hanoi. Our house is right on the center's campus, so Huy often went to practice with his parents. The environment formed a habit. Perhaps that's why when he was a little older, Huy loved shooting and chose to follow his parents' career. Currently, my wife and I's second son is also on the Hai Phong shooting team."
Speaking more about his son who is causing a stir in the Vietnamese shooting community, Mr. Son admitted that he is inferior to his son in terms of technique: "Following him from the very beginning, I know that Huy has good technique, much better than I did before. When I was still competing, I was not strong in technique but I made up for it with diligence and hard work. In the competition to win the ASIAD gold medal, I think Huy demonstrated almost 100% of his ability."
According to the coach of Hai Phong shooting, he has high expectations for his son but does not think Huy will explode at ASIAD 19. "In fact, for shooting athletes in the world, around 25 years old, they will reach maturity, but Vietnamese athletes often mature later, around 30 years old. Coach Hoang Xuan Vinh was over 40 years old when he won a bronze medal at the world championship, and 45 years old when he won the Olympic championship. Therefore, I hope Huy considers this achievement as a stepping stone to continue to strive and reach other heights," Mr. Son excitedly shared.
Quang Huy received more than 1.7 billion in bonus
With the 19th ASIAD gold medal, Pham Quang Huy is expected to receive more than 1.7 billion in prize money. Of which, 400 million is from the Vietnam Sports Delegation, 100 million is from the Vietnam Shooting Federation, 100 million is from the Hanoi National Sports Training Center and 140 million is according to state regulations. Hai Phong City is expected to reward the 27-year-old shooter with 1 billion.
In addition, on September 28, Huy also won a bronze medal in the men's 10m air pistol team event, and according to the regulations, he will receive a bonus of 55 million VND.
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