Triple SEA Games gold medalist voted Vietnam’s best athlete in 2019

With a brilliant display at the recent 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, track and field star Nguyen Thi Oanh surpassed swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien to be honoured as the most outstanding Vietnamese athlete of 2019.

Track and field star Nguyen Thi Oanh (pictured) surpasses swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien to become the most outstanding Vietnamese athlete in 2019.
Track and field star Nguyen Thi Oanh (pictured) surpasses swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien to become the most outstanding Vietnamese athlete in 2019.

A vote for Vietnam’s best athletes and trainers in 2019 was co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, the Vietnam Olympic Committee, the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, and the ‘The Thao Viet Nam’ (Vietnamese sport) newspaper, in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on December 30.

According to the voting results, Oanh overcame strong rivals to take the top honour with 846 points. The Bac Giang-born athlete’s triumph was well-deserved as Oanh performed brilliantly at the 30th SEA Games, smashing three gold medals in the women’s 1,500m, 5,000m and 3,000m steepleschase (SEA Games record) events, even sweeter than at the 29th Games in Malaysia (two gold medals). In particular, en route to her glory in the Philippines, Oanh had undergone numerous difficulties, having been diagnosed with glomerulonephritis in 2014. However, she still strived to practise for fear of losing the chance to join the national team.

Nguyen Thi Oanh bursts into tears after claiming her third gold medal at the 30th SEA Games.

Meanwhile, despite blasting six gold and two silver medals at the 30th SEA Games, swimmer Anh Vien settled for second place in the vote with 772 points. Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang, who won two golds and one silver and broke two SEA Games records in the Philippines, came in third with 704 points, followed by Nguyen Quang Hai (438 points) and Do Hung Dung (390 points) from V.League team Hanoi FC.

In the ‘Most outstanding trainer’ category, coach Mai Duc Chung took the top honour with 428 points, a worthy reward for the 68-year-old tactician following his successful SEA Games campaign with the Vietnam women’s football team. Under the leadership of Chung, the Vietnamese team were crowned the SEA Games champions for the sixth time in history.

Track and field athlete Cao Ngoc Hung was named as the most outstanding athlete with disabilities, with 572 points, 118 points clear of runner-up Vo Thanh Tung (swimming). Meanwhile, track and field trainer Dang Van Phuc won the vote for ‘Most outstanding trainer for disabled athletes’ with 342 points.