According to Mr. Kim Yoo Sang, Vietnamese taekwondo athletes have very good qualities, but lack experience and experience in big arenas. CJ Group always tries to support the Vietnamese taekwondo team to train abroad and hopes that this will help the athletes to be more confident and compete better.

In the past, taekwondo was the pride of Vietnamese sports in the international arena with bright spots: Tran Hieu Ngan (Sydney Olympics 2000 silver medal), Tran Quang Ha (ASIAD 1994 gold medal), Ho Nhat Thong (ASIAD 1998 gold medal). However, since the two martial artists Le Huynh Chau and Chu Hoang Dieu Linh officially won tickets to the London Olympics 2012, it was not until the Tokyo Olympics 2020 that Vietnamese taekwondo had a representative, martial artist Truong Thi Kim Tuyen. At this time, the female martial artist born in 1997 is the biggest hope of Vietnamese taekwondo, having won the Asian championship in 2018 and 2021.

Martial artist Truong Thi Kim Tuyen (left) is the greatest hope of Vietnamese taekwondo. Photo: TRONG HIEU

At ASIAD 19 (taking place from September 23 to October 8, 2023), the Vietnamese taekwondo team will participate with 5 athletes, competing in 5 weight categories. At this time, the team is in the process of training and screening to select the best players. According to the plan, the Vietnamese taekwondo team will have a training trip of about 2 months in Korea, before participating in ASIAD 19. Head coach of the Vietnamese taekwondo team Vu Anh Tuan said: "After the training trip, we will finalize the list of athletes competing at ASIAD. Looking forward to the 2024 Paris Olympics, in March 2024, the Asian qualifying round will take place, the Vietnamese taekwondo team will focus highly to win an official ticket to the Olympics".

According to experts, Truong Thi Kim Tuyen is still the number 1 hope of the Vietnamese taekwondo team at the 19th ASIAD. Responding to a reporter from the People's Army Newspaper about Kim Tuyen's ability to compete for an Asian Games gold medal, Mr. Vu Anh Tuan analyzed: "Kim Tuyen is the current SEA Games champion in the 46kg category. However, the 19th ASIAD does not have a 46kg category, so Kim Tuyen must compete in the 49kg category. This is a weight category that brings together many excellent martial artists, including the current Olympic champion from Thailand, Panipak Wongpattanakit. We will create all conditions for Kim Tuyen to best demonstrate her abilities, but winning a gold medal is indeed a very difficult goal."

With the support of CJ Group, the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation is organizing the 2023 National Youth Taekwondo Championship - CJ, bringing together more than 1,000 coaches and athletes. Commenting on this cooperation, Ms. Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Training, said: “I hope that the cooperation between Vietnam and Korea in the field of sports, especially taekwondo, will become increasingly stronger. The Taekwondo Youth Championship is a launching pad to develop talents, thereby supplementing the strength of the youth teams and the Vietnamese national team. Looking forward to the 19th ASIAD, we hope that the Vietnamese taekwondo team, experts and athletes will strive to achieve high results. This is a sport that Vietnamese sports have high expectations for.”

HOA LU