National key shooter Dang Hong Ha, 30, is to coach four Japanese shooters in a two-week course following an invitation from the Japanese Shooting Federation.

Ha, who has been in the sport for a decade in the women's air mobile target rifle, with a 60-medal collection, is the first Vietnamese shooter to professionally coach a foreign team.

Ha will coach Japanese shooters in standard and mixed air mobile target rifle. She will leave for Tokyo on Feb. 24.

"I was contacted last year by Yuzuru Nagayama, an official of the Japanese shooting federation," Ha said yesterday.

"I'm so happy. It's a challenge and honour for me and Vietnam Shooting. I'll try to do my best with my experience and skills that I've gained from Vietnamese coaches in the national and Hanoi team," she said on Feb. 22.

The Hanoian shooter broke her personal best record at the National Sports Games in Da Nang last December with 382 points after 40 shots, surpassing her old record of 378 points at the National Shooting Championship that has remained unbroken since 2004.

She also won a silver medal in the team event at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, last November.

Her personal best is 389 points from 40 shots during training in Hanoi.

At the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Munich, Germany last July, Ha scored 361 points to rank 13th./.