Believe in rattan

Coach Tran Thi Vui (middle) and the 4-person women's sepak takraw team won the championship at the 2025 World Cup. Photo: Sepaktakrawindia

From a decision 35 years ago

When mentioning the international gold medals of Vietnamese sepak takraw, most recently the gold medal in the women's 4-a-side event at the Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 in India last weekend, many people remember the story of 35 years ago. At that time, in 1990, the Director of the Hanoi Department of Physical Education and Sports (DTTT - now the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports) Hoang Vinh Giang decided to build sepak takraw and pencak silat in Vietnam, with Hanoi as the starting point and pillar.

The establishment and development of Sepak Takraw was assigned to the Head of the Department of Scientific and Medical Research (Hanoi Department of Sports and Physical Training) at that time, Mr. Ha Kha Luan. Since then, Mr. Ha Kha Luan has not only participated in developing the movement in Hanoi but also proactively contacted a number of other provincial and municipal Sports and Physical Training Departments to invite them to join hands in building the Sepak Takraw team. In particular, Hanoi is ready to support from human resources to training equipment. Also from those difficult early days, Sepak Takraw Vietnam has developed, contributing a series of world, ASIAD, and SEA Games gold medals to Vietnamese sports.

The notable highlight was the 2 gold medals at the 2006 ASIAD. It must also be mentioned that the person who led the team to win the 2 gold medals that year was Ha Tung Lap - the son of Mr. Ha Kha Luan. In the team that won those 2 precious gold medals, Hanoi Sepak Takraw contributed 6 athletes.

At the 19th ASIAD - 2023, Vietnamese Sepak Takraw won the gold medal in the 4-a-side women's event - an event that was identified as the spearhead of Sepak Takraw since it was included in the competition program at the 2021 World Championship. Previously, at the 2022 - 2023 World Championships, the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw team won the gold medal in this event. At this time, when both Mr. Hoang Vinh Giang and Mr. Ha Kha Luan have passed away, Vietnamese Sepak Takraw continues to develop and achieve positive results. At the Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025, the Vietnamese team won the championship in the 4-a-side women's event, thereby affirming its strength.

The Sepak Takraw World Cup championship is significant, especially when the Vietnamese team defeated the Thai team - always at the top of the world - in the final match. Behind that championship is the hard work of the female athletes through high-intensity exercises. In addition to physical exercises, each person must also practice Sepak Takraw regularly for at least 10 hours/day.

Affirming the leading role

After the Vietnamese team won the championship in the 4-a-side women's event at the 2025 Sepak Takraw World Cup, Head of Sepak Takraw Department (Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center) Ha Tung Lap affirmed that this was the result of proper investment and accurate identification of the strong competition content. As soon as they heard that the 4-a-side women's event was included in the international competition program, experts at the Vietnam Sports Department and Hanoi Sports Department determined that this was a content suitable for the Vietnamese Sepak Takraw force.

Over the years, Hanoi has maintained regular athlete routes, with the largest number of athletes among the units developing Sepak Takraw in Vietnam. Along with that, the investment level is also among the best compared to other localities. The results have come when Hanoi athletes always account for a large number of the national team, and Sepak Takraw always plays an important role in ensuring medal targets at the ASIAD and SEA Games for the locality. Sepak Takraw also shows its acumen when focusing on investing in the 4-person women's event. At the Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025, out of 6 Vietnamese athletes in this event, Hanoi contributed 2 athletes: Nguyen Thi Yen (starting player) and Nguyen Thi Khanh Ly (reserve).

According to Mr. Ha Tung Lap, the Vietnamese women's sepak takraw team has defeated Thailand at the 2025 World Cup (women's 4-a-side event) and now needs to prepare for other goals, including the 33rd SEA Games - taking place at the end of 2025, and the 20th ASIAD - taking place in 2026, in Japan. Regarding those important international tournaments, Hanoi sepak takraw needs to make efforts to invest in the women's 4-a-side event, both in terms of training conditions and team building.

In a recent sharing, Director of Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center Dinh Van Luyen said that Sepak Takraw belongs to the group of sports in which Hanoi athletes always play an important role in the national team. That leading role of Sepak Takraw of Hanoi needs to be maintained through effective solutions, as has been demonstrated over the past 35 years.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tin-vao-cau-may-697375.html