Track-and-field athletes are now under a lot of pressure to win six gold medals at the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam and the 25th SEA Games in Laos this year.

Runner Truong Thanh Hang.

The national track-and-field team will convene at the three National Sports Training Centres as of February 15 to practice and prepare for the two above events.

According to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training’s decision, the team will have outstanding athletes like Vu Van Huyen (decathlon), runner Vu Van Huynh (100 metre), runner Vu Thi Huong (100 metre and 200 metre), high-jumper Bui Thi Nhung, runners Truong Thanh Hang, Nguyen Dinh Cuong (800 metre and 1,500 metre) and some throwers and lifters.

With these names, will the team be able to take six gold medals at the 25^th SEA Games like it did at the 24^th SEA Games?

The chief of the Athletics Department of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, Duong Duc Thuy, said it is extremely difficult for the team to win six gold medals at the upcoming SEA Games.

It is expected that Vu Thi Huong can take one gold medal, Truong Thanh Hang two, Nguyen Dinh Cuong one, and Vu Van Huyen one. Other athletes are not sure to be able to take a gold medal.

Bui Thi Nhung is excellent but her Thai rival, Noeng-ruthai Chaipech is very strong. Vietnam’s 4×100m relay race team is weaker than Thailand’s competitors. Throwers and lifters are predicted to win up to silver medals because Singaporean rivals are said to be better.

While Vietnam is urgently preparing for these regional events, other countries like Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand are doing similarly. Malaysia sent their athletes to Pretoria, South Africa and Germany for training. They also invited South African and Chinese coaches to teach their athletes.

Another problem for the Vietnamese team is the lack of money for training in 2009. However, Thuy said perhaps some athletes will be sent to China for training.

VietNamNet/TTHN