Vu Thanh An of Vietnam (left) at the 32nd SEA Games last May in Cambodia. He will take part in the Olympic Asian Qualifying Championship in April in the UAE. (Photo: VNA) Fencing did make a big bang with four athletes qualified for theRio de Janeiro Games in 2016, but the team failed to take part in the nextgames in Tokyo in 2021.
Due to injuries and financial shortage, Vietnamese fencers did nothave the chance to compete in 2023 to collect points for their Olympiccampaign.
This Asian zonal event will be the last opportunity for them toreach Paris this summer.
Athletes who have already qualified for the Olympics will not takepart in this event, and only the winner of the zonal championship will qualifyfor the Games.
The national team players have practised intensively since thefirst day of the year in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
A team of the six best fencers will leave for the Dubai event andcompete on April 27-28.
Among them veteran Vu Thanh An in men's sabre and Nguyen Tien Nhatin men's epee are expected to make the mission.
Nhat was the first Vietnamese fencer to earn an Olympic place inhistory, in 2012. He has been one of the best fencers in the region with many titlesfrom the SEA Games and ASEAN championships.
The 33-year-old Nhat is currently No 136 in the world and No 32 inhis category. He took one gold and one bronze at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodialast May.
An, meanwhile, made his name internationally by winning twobronzes in Asian championships. He finished in the top 15 at the Rio Olympics,the best result of Vietnam in this competition.
At the Cambodia event, the 32-year-old won one gold and onesilver, making him a big dominator at the regional biennial sporting event witheight titles in both individuals and team categories in five SEA Games editionsin a row. He is currently No 117 in the world and No 37 in Asia.
According to the coaching board, many strong athletes from theRepublic of Korea, Japan and China would not come to Dubai as they have alreadyqualified. This reduces the pressure on the Vietnamese competitors.
An will be the best hope of Vietnam, and he is also determined tohave his second time in the Olympics.
"It is really a difficult competition as only the winner cantake the Olympic place," An told Vietnam News.
"In Dubai, I will have to play six five-point and four15-point matches to take gold. If I can perform my best, I am confident ofwinning," he said./.
VNA
