LookAtVietnam – Olympian weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan has been presented with the Labour Order, Second Class, for his contributions to sport after winning silver at Beijing in the men’s 56kg weightlifting category.

Little big man: Weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan took a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics last year. Tuan was awarded the Labour Order, Second Class, in a ceremony in Ha Noi yesterday.

Tuan’s 290kg lift won Viet Nam’s only medal in the Beijing Olympics last August. He was Viet Nam’s 2008 athlete of the year.

The 24-year-old also received a cash-prize of VND100 million (US$6,000) at the ceremony, awarded by the Dong Luc Group for his silver medal.

Presenting the award, Viet Nam Olympic Committee vice chairman and general secretary Hoang Vinh Giang said winning silver was an historic victory for Viet Nam and greatly appreciated by the people.

“Tuan’s silver medal was the result of a major investment of time and effort into preparations for the Olympics,” Giang said.

Other awards were presented to top athletes and coaches by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Nguyen Danh Thai.

The ceremony was organised by The Thao Viet Nam (Viet Nam Sports) newspaper and VinaPhone to mark the 63rd anniversary of Viet Nam’s Sport Day.

Twenty-five athletes and coaches received the Labour Order, Third Class, for their contributions to sport over the last year.

Among them were Olympian lifter Nguyen Thi Thiet, of Hai Duong; sprinter Truong Thanh Hang, of HCM City; shooters Nguyen Thu Van from Public Security team and Hoang Xuan Vinh of the Military.

Others to receive awards were Chinese chess master Ngo Lan Huong; billiards and snooker player Duong Anh Vu, who grabbed two gold medals at the Asian Indoor Games in Macau in 2007; coaches Le Van Suc (wrestling), Le Tung Duong (Karate) and Nguyen Xuan Hai (pencak silat martial art); wheelchair athlete Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao and disabled weightlifter Dang Anh Tuyet and disabled swimmer Nguyen Quang Vuong.

The athletes of the year awards are being jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Viet Nam Fund for Young Talent Support and the The Thao Viet Nam newspaper.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News