Vietnam Swimming Team: Confidently heading to SEA Games 33

To achieve this goal, the coaching staff of the Vietnamese swimming team is actively preparing the best force.

Nguyen Huy Hoang is one of the Vietnamese athletes expected to achieve high results at the 33rd SEA Games.

Believe in young athletes

The 2025 World Junior Swimming Championships (held from August 16 to 25) in Romania has just concluded. The Vietnamese swimming team participated with 5 athletes: Nguyen Thuy Hien, Nguyen Ngoc Tuyet Han, Nguyen Kha Nhi, Duong Van Hoang Quy and Tran Van Nguyen Quoc. This is a rare occasion for Vietnam to have many places to compete in this arena, because to participate, athletes must pass the standards set by the International Aquatics Federation (FINA) for each male and female event.

Notably, among the 5 faces mentioned above, "swimmer" Nguyen Thuy Hien is the one with outstanding expertise, having won many gold medals at domestic and age-group competitions in Southeast Asia and Asia. At the 2025 Southeast Asian Age-Group Swimming Championship (June 2025), she was honored as the best female athlete in the 16-18 age group, and broke 4 age-group records in the 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle for women. At the 2025 World Junior Swimming Championship, Thuy Hien showed good expertise, finishing 2nd in the 6th qualifying round of the women's 200m freestyle with a time of 2'04"59, ranking 26th overall.

In addition, Tran Van Nguyen Quoc ranked 47th in the men's 100m freestyle (51'72); Nguyen Kha Nhi ranked 13th in the women's 1,500m freestyle (17'13"94). Although they did not win any medals, the athletes showed remarkable progress in their skills.

According to Le Thanh Huyen, Head of the Swimming Department (Vietnam Sports Administration - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ), in the history of Vietnamese swimming, no athlete has won a medal at the World Youth Championship. Therefore, the coaching staff does not focus on achievements in this tournament, but considers this an opportunity for young athletes to gain experience.

Coach Nguyen Hoang Vu said that Vietnam swimming currently has a group of talented athletes such as Nguyen Huy Hoang, Tran Hung Nguyen, Pham Thanh Bao, Do Ngoc Vinh... Besides, the young generation of athletes such as Nguyen Quang Thuan, Vo Thi My Tien, Nguyen Thuy Hien, Pham Thi Van, Mai Tran Tuan Anh, Luong Jeremie Loic Nino are also expected to continue their success. The coaching staff regularly monitors parameters and adjusts training programs to aim for the 33rd SEA Games.

Strengthen training and competition

According to sports expert Nguyen Hong Minh, in addition to the goal of defending the overall runner-up position, the swimming team also considers the 33rd SEA Games as a "test" of its strength, from which it can adjust its strategy for larger competitions such as the Asian Games or the Olympics. Although it has many talented athletes, Vietnamese swimming cannot be complacent when other countries such as Thailand and the Philippines are investing heavily.

Currently, the swimming team is concentrated with 23 athletes, divided into specialized groups at training locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Can Tho. Notably, Brazilian expert Gustavo has officially joined the coaching staff, focusing on improving the professional index of key athletes, according to a long-term program, instead of a short-term program like some previous experts.

Coach of the Vietnamese swimming team Nguyen Hoang Vu added: “Nguyen Huy Hoang is still the mainstay of the Vietnamese swimming team. In his career, Hoang has won a total of 11 gold medals in 4 SEA Games (29, 30, 31, 32). If he continues to maintain his form, he can become the first male swimmer of Vietnam to win gold medals in 5 consecutive SEA Games. In addition, Nguyen Thuy Hien is also a young face that has received key investment and has the ability to create surprises at the 33rd SEA Games.”

Ms. Le Thanh Huyen said that before the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnamese swimming team will participate in the 2025 Asian Championship (October 2025) in India. This is an opportunity to evaluate expertise, gain experience, and improve the force.

According to Ngo Ich Quan, Deputy Head of the High Performance Sports Department (Vietnam Sports Administration - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), there are only 3 months left until the 33rd SEA Games kicks off. The coaching staff has developed a detailed plan for each athlete, including training programs at home and abroad, as well as participating in tournaments to gain experience, ready for the goal of winning 6 gold medals in Thailand.

In fact, in recent SEA Games, Vietnamese swimming has often played an important role in helping the Vietnamese sports delegation maintain its position in the leading group. However, the gap with Thailand and Singapore - countries with strong swimming development - is still quite large. Therefore, to shorten this gap, in addition to the efforts of the athletes, youth training, investment in facilities, as well as inviting good experts from abroad all need to be invested in. Hopefully, with careful preparation in terms of expertise and strength, the Vietnamese swimming team will complete the set goals at SEA Games 33-2025.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/doi-tuyen-boi-viet-nam-tu-tin-huong-den-sea-games-33-714676.html