Stepping into the spotlight
Alongside familiar and accomplished athletes like Nguyen Thi Oanh, Nguyen Huy Hoang, Trinh Thu Vinh, and Nguyen Thi Huong, a wave of U20 athletes has recently been given opportunities to compete at regional tournaments. Despite their young age, they have delivered impressive results.
The performances of these young athletes show that a new generation of potential athletes has emerged.
At 19, swimmer Nguyen Quang Thuan made a remarkable mark by defeating senior and reigning champion Tran Hung Nguyen to claim the gold medal in the men’s 400m individual medley. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Tran Van Nguyen Quoc enjoyed a memorable first SEA Games, securing gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, along with one silver and one bronze medal. Sixteen-year-old swimmer Duong Van Hoang Quy also stepped onto the podium for the first time, earning silver in the men’s 200m butterfly.
On the women’s side, Nguyen Thuy Hien carries expectations of reviving Vietnamese women’s swimming after Anh Vien’s retirement. At SEA Games 32, aged just 14, she impressed on her debut with a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. At SEA Games 33, Thuy Hien, together with her senior teammates Nguyen Kha Nhi, Pham Thi Van, and Vo Thi My Tien, achieved a historic milestone by securing a bronze medal in the freestyle relay, along with an individual bronze in the 100m breaststroke — raising hopes of upgrading the colour of those medals in the future.
At just 16, Tran Hoang Khoi caused a sensation at SEA Games 33 by capturing gold in men’s singles bowling. Amid home crowd pressure and even controversial incidents, the 11th-grade student displayed remarkable composure to claim a historic victory in his debut appearance — reshaping perceptions of bowling, which has often been regarded only as a recreational activity.
Another promising young talent is Bui Thi Kim Anh in the women's high jump. Competing in Bangkok (Thailand), she soared confidently over successive heights, clearing 1.86m. This achievement confirms the potential for future high jumps for this 2006-born girl from Ninh Binh.
Continuing the bigger dream
Sport is often defined by moments that touch the heart. Some victories do not require standing at the highest podium to become unforgettable.
As SEA Games 33’s medal tally steadily grew, one moment left the stadium silent. On the Pencak Silat mat, 18-year-old Duong Thi Hai Quyen collapsed in pain, gritting her teeth as she adjusted her injured toe herself under instructions from medical staff at ringside. Under competition rules, medical personnel could not intervene directly on the mat — leaving only her determination to carry her through. Having taken up Pencak Silat in 2019, Quyen sees the martial arts arena as both her passion and her path to changing her destiny. In her first SEA Games final, despite injury, she fought until the final second to claim silver in tears and pain.
The performances of these young athletes signal the arrival of a promising new generation. However, their greatest challenge does not lie in achieving success at a single Games, but in maintaining performance, avoiding injury, and continually improving their achievements over the long term.
At U20 level, they still have at least a decade ahead to break through, push further, and continue chasing bigger dreams. They are a generation ready to shoulder responsibility, unafraid of challenges and eager to conquer new heights. With that ambition, and proper, strategic investment, the Vietnamese sports will continue to create inspiring stories, conquer new milestones and, above all, nurture confidence in the future generation.
