ASIAD 19: From a distracted student to a gold medal miracle

Not only did the Vietnamese sports delegation quench their thirst for gold in Hangzhou (China), the Vietnamese shooting team also marked a historic milestone with their first gold medal after 40 years of participating in the Asian Games thanks to the excellent final performance of 27-year-old shooter Pham Quang Huy.

" Experience and enjoy this rare moment"

On the morning of September 28, shooter Pham Quang Huy excellently won the gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event with a score of 240.5 points, defeating the runner-up, shooter Lee Won-ho (Korea, 239.4 points). That achievement was even more impressive as this was the first major tournament final match for the athlete from Hai Phong .

In the first 5 series, Huy was only ranked 4th with 49.1 points, but then he accelerated with perfect shots to take the lead with 99.6 points after the 10th series. In the next 10 series, despite the fierce breakthrough of other excellent shooters, Huy firmly maintained the top position. The atmosphere at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre shooting range froze and then exploded when Huy defeated two shooters Sarabjot Singh (India) and Lee Won-ho (Korea) to excellently bring home the first gold medal of Vietnamese shooting in history at ASIAD, also the first gold medal of Vietnamese sports at ASIAD 19.

Bronze medal of Quang Huy and his teammates. Expert Park Chung-gun (wearing glasses) is happy with his students' achievements.  

Coach Hoang Xuan Vinh and Pham Quang Huy

The 27-year-old shooter expressed: "Entering the match, I was not too worried because this was my first final match. I only noticed that when I entered the competition, the organizers called out the athletes' achievements. Of course, I was the one with the least international achievements, the newest person in this very fierce competition. The other shooters all had medals, big and small achievements in world and continental arenas. I reassured myself to compete, to experience and enjoy this rare moment of mine. I am not self-conscious, but also not too confident and only focus on the most important factor: technique. When coach Hoang Xuan Vinh was behind me, I felt very secure. I just put all my mind and strength into technique, not thinking much. I almost cried and wanted to shout out loud, Mom and Dad, I have succeeded!".

I was shocked when I was… sent home.

Also on September 28, Pham Quang Huy further highlighted his achievements when he, along with Lai Cong Minh and Phan Cong Minh, won a bronze medal in the men's 10m air pistol team event. A very successful tournament for this young man, but for those in the profession, it was something to be expected as he is the son of former shooting stars Pham Cao Son and Dang Thi Hang.

Since he was 2 years old, Huy was sent by his parents to breathe the atmosphere of the national team's shooting range. More than 20 years later, he followed his parents' path when he was called up to the national team. However, at the age of 23, he was still a bit distracted, not fully forming the sense of diligence and perseverance of a professional athlete. It was understandable that his performance was not good, and at the end of the year he was "sent back to his hometown" by the coaching board.

How much is the new ASIAD champion rewarded?

Pham Quang Huy received 935 million VND in bonus, including 140 million VND for the gold medal, 55 million VND for the bronze medal according to state regulations; 600 million VND in bonus, including: the Vietnamese sports delegation awarded 400 million VND, the Vietnam Shooting Federation awarded 100 million VND, the Hanoi National Sports Training Center awarded 100 million VND (this unit awarded an additional 100 million VND to the coach whose athlete won the gold medal). The Hai Phong City People's Committee awarded 140 million VND.

Nhat Duy

It was a real shock for Huy, because before that he had always thought of his teachers as his uncles and aunts in the family. For the first time, he was shocked to realize the harsh elimination nature of elite sports. Fortunately, after consideration, the coach of the Vietnamese shooting team, Nguyen Thi Nhung, gave Huy a second chance in early 2020.

Huy shared: "The first year I was quite impulsive, didn't listen to the coach much, and argued back a lot. After being sent home and being given another chance by Ms. Nhung, I thought I had to cherish this opportunity because few people get a second chance. Shooting is an elimination sport, those who are not good will be eliminated. I really want to cherish the second chance, I don't want Ms. Nhung and coach Park Chung-gun to be ashamed of me. My parents used to play for the national team for a long time, and also understand the difficulties and stress of living in a highly competitive environment, so they encouraged, motivated, and motivated me. My father said that first of all, I have to try to maintain my passion and love for the profession, enjoy both the bitterness and glory that shooting brings. Try your best and the results will come." After that "transformation" in perception, Huy changed a lot. Of course, his achievements also improved significantly, promoting his strong qualities and stable techniques. He won 3 gold medals at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games, a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games and now an ASIAD gold medal.

Thanhnien.vn