Vietnamese shooter invited to compete at Tokyo Olympics

Hoang Xuan Vinh of Vietnam (right) poses with Korean four-time Olympic shooting champion Jin Jong-oh in Hanoi's National Sport Training Centre in 2018. (Photo danviet.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has received an invitation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete in shooting at the coming Tokyo Olympics.

The IOC offered a slot to one Vietnamese athlete in the men's 10m air pistol category and asked the Vietnam Shooting Federation to send an outstanding or well-known marksman to the Games this July.

At the last Games in Rio five years ago, shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh secured the country's first Olympic gold in the 10m air pistol.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced many tournaments to be cancelled or delayed, Vinh and his teammates failed to secure a berth in Tokyo.

The Vietnam Shooting Federation has nominated Vinh for the position.

The 47-year-old Vinh became the first Vietnamese shooter to rank No 1 in the world after his Olympic victory, but has performed poorly since and now sits at No 38.

Shooting is the 14th slot for Vietnam at the July 23-August 8 event, following those in taekwondo, swimming, gymnastics, boxing, badminton, rowing, archery and weightlifting. More slots in athletics and boxing will be confirmed later./.

VNA