Culture - Sports

SEA Games 31: Vietnam hope to rule finswimming events

Vietnam’s finswiming pioneers are aiming to claim 6-8 out of the 13 gold medals on offer at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asia Games (SEA Games 31).
SEA Games 31: Vietnam hope to rule finswimming events ảnh 1This year’s event will take place at the Hanoi-based My Dinh Water Sports Palace from May 21-22. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s finswiming pioneers areaiming to claim 6-8 out of the 13 gold medals on offer at the ongoing 31st Southeast Asia Games (SEA Games 31).

When the sport was introduced at the 2003 SEA Games,Vietnam as the host swept 13 out of the 16 golds at stake, while in Laos 2009and Indonesia 2011 took four and six golds, respectively.

Besides Thailand and the Philippines, Indonesia isgrowing stronger in the sport with many talented athletes, whose stats are onpar with Vietnam’s top finswimmers in some categories.

According to coach of the Vietnamese finswimmingteam Hoang Quoc Binh, Vietnam ranks first in the sport in not only SoutheastAsia but also Asia.

Binh said that Vietnam has prolific and talentedfinswimmers who have gained great achievements in regional and global arenas.

Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines will beVietnam's main opponents in the sport at SEA Games 31, he said, expressing hisbelief that Vietnamese finswimmers can defeat their opponents.

Finswimmers like Nguyen Thanh Loc, Phan Duc Toan,Pham Thi Thu and Nguyen Thi Hang will be the hopes of Vietnam at SEA Games 31.

This year’s event will take place at the Hanoi-basedMy Dinh Water Sports Palace from May 21-22./.
VNA
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