A meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam Athletics Federation (VAF) was held at the Elite Athletes Training Centre in Hanoi on November 23.
The event attracted a large attendance, and many onlookers were coaches who have worked with the organisation. Speakers toasted the VAF's success and looked ahead to the future.
"With the VAF's lead, Vietnamese track-and-field is now in the top three in the region and our athletes have tasted success in continental events," said Ho Thi Tu Tam, the coach of the national middle-distance running team.
Track-and-field was introduced to Vietnam by the French in the early 20th century. Over the past 50 years, the VAF has presided over a sporting culture that has gone from strength to strength and seen Vietnamese athletics develop fast.
The country competed in its first international athletics event, the Games of the New Emerging Forces, in Indonesia in 1963 alongside 51 other nations.
In later international and regional events, such as the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, they brought home many medals.
Recent highlights include Truong Thanh Hang, who is the Vietnamese record holder for both 800m and 1500m races. She is one of Asia's foremost middle-distance runners, having been among Asia's top ranks in 800m races both indoors and outdoors. She was a double silver medalist for Vietnam at the 16th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Guangzhou , China in 2010 and has also been highly successful at the SEA Games, where she won gold medals from 2005 to 2009.
Vu Thi Huong has been similarly dominant over short distances. She won 100m gold and 200m silver at the 2005 SEA Games, and both 100m and 200m gold medals at the 2007 event. In addition she has won bronze and silver medals in the Asian Championships.
Athletics will take centre stage when the 18th Asian Games come to Vietnam in 2019.-VNA
The event attracted a large attendance, and many onlookers were coaches who have worked with the organisation. Speakers toasted the VAF's success and looked ahead to the future.
"With the VAF's lead, Vietnamese track-and-field is now in the top three in the region and our athletes have tasted success in continental events," said Ho Thi Tu Tam, the coach of the national middle-distance running team.
Track-and-field was introduced to Vietnam by the French in the early 20th century. Over the past 50 years, the VAF has presided over a sporting culture that has gone from strength to strength and seen Vietnamese athletics develop fast.
The country competed in its first international athletics event, the Games of the New Emerging Forces, in Indonesia in 1963 alongside 51 other nations.
In later international and regional events, such as the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, they brought home many medals.
Recent highlights include Truong Thanh Hang, who is the Vietnamese record holder for both 800m and 1500m races. She is one of Asia's foremost middle-distance runners, having been among Asia's top ranks in 800m races both indoors and outdoors. She was a double silver medalist for Vietnam at the 16th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Guangzhou , China in 2010 and has also been highly successful at the SEA Games, where she won gold medals from 2005 to 2009.
Vu Thi Huong has been similarly dominant over short distances. She won 100m gold and 200m silver at the 2005 SEA Games, and both 100m and 200m gold medals at the 2007 event. In addition she has won bronze and silver medals in the Asian Championships.
Athletics will take centre stage when the 18th Asian Games come to Vietnam in 2019.-VNA
