Hanoi (VNA) - New Southeast Asia sprint queen Le Tu Chinh isheading to conquer a new challenge later this month at the Asian Indoor andMartial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Turkmenistan.
Chinh, who bagged three gold medals at the 29th Southeast AsianGames (SEA Games 29) in Malaysia last month, will take part in the women’s 60mevent in her AIMAG debut.
“It is my first time at this continental tournament, and the eventis not familiar to me. However, my target is to get my highest result, whichwill help me have a successful 2017,” said Chinh.
Apart from Chinh, swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien is also a gold hopefor Vietnam.
Vien was the most prolific athlete in Vietnam’s SEA Games team,winning eight golds and two silvers in Kuala Lumpur.
Other Vietnamese participants at the AIMAG are swimmer and SEAGames record holder Nguyen Huu Kim Son, world taekwondo poomsae champion ChauTuyet Van, chess grandmaster Le Quang Liem, seven-time world muay winner NguyenTran Duy Nhat, and Asian billiard champion Nguyen Quoc Nguyen.
The fifth AIMAG will be held from September 17 to 27.
Vietnam’s team of 194 athletes, under deputy chief of NationalSports Administration Tran Duc Phan, will take part in 14 of the 21 sportscategories, including athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, chess andfutsal.
As in the previous Games, the team aims to be among the top three.The event will attract thousands of competitors from 45 countries andterritories in Asia, 17 delegations from Oceania and seven associate members ofthe Oceania National Olympic Committees.
In its 2013 edition in the Republic of Korea, Vietnam pocketedeight golds, seven silvers and 12 bronzes, ranking third, behind China and thehosts.
Vietnam hosted the tournament in 2009 and finished second afterChina with 42 golds.-VNA