17th Asian Games: Taekwondo wins two more bronze medals.
On October 2nd, martial artists Ha Thi Nguyen and Pham Thi Thu Hien brought home two more bronze medals for the Vietnamese sports delegation.
In the two semi-final matches of the 62kg and 67kg Taekwondo categories, Ha Thi Nguyen and Pham Thi Thu Hien both faced opponents from the host country, South Korea. Pham Thi Thu Hien started first, facing Lee Dabin. She had a fairly even match against her opponent before the referee awarded a questionable three-point kick by Lee Dabin. Under pressure from the host country, Thu Hien had to accept defeat with a score of 2-9 and received the bronze medal.
Ha Thi Nguyen (in red) competes against her South Korean opponent in the semi-final match. (Photo: Trong Phu)
In an interview with VOV, martial artist Pham Thi Thu Hien said: “At this stage, all the opponents are strong. I tried my best to get through the first two rounds to compete for a medal. The Korean opponent was taller and faster than me, but unfortunately, I didn't take advantage of some opportunities to gain an advantage. When I came here, I was determined to win the gold medal and I tried my best, but unfortunately, I didn't succeed.”
In the 67kg semi-final, Ha Thi Nguyen faced Lee Wonjin (South Korea). Ha Thi Nguyen performed quite well and led for most of the match. However, a mistake at the end of the match caused her to lose two consecutive points, and she had to settle for the bronze medal with a score of 2-5.
The semi-final match between Pham Thi Thu Hien (in red) and home fighter Lee Dabin. (Photo: Trong Phu)
Speaking after the match, Ha Thi Nguyen expressed regret for not having more time to train: “I didn't perform very well in the first match. But in the following matches, I showed my true form. I think if I had more time to train with the Korean coach, my chances of winning would have been higher. In my opinion, Vietnamese Taekwondo has made quite rapid progress recently.”
In the men's 63kg category, Le Huynh Chau suffered a disappointing defeat against Kitwijarn (Thailand) with a score of 1-4. The bronze medals won by Ha Thi Nguyen and Pham Thi Thu Hien brought the total number of medals for the Vietnamese sports delegation to 35, but only one gold medal remains.
According to VOV
