Expert Nguyen Hong Minh: 'Responsible people must re-educate Lam Quang Nhat'

(Baonghean.vn) - 'This is the National Team...not everyone can go if they want, or not if they don't want to', former Head of the Department of High Performance Sports Nguyen Hong Minh expressed his opinion.

The story of "athlete selection" in Vietnamese swimming started when swimmer Nguyen Huu Kim Son surpassed the SEA Games record of Lam Quang Nhat and the national record of swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang when he competed in the 1500m qualifying round at the 2017 World Championship with a time of 15 minutes 29 seconds 90 on July 29.

This made the National Swimming Team's Coaching Board decide to choose Nguyen Huu Kim Son as the first name due to his highest achievement, while Quang Nhat and Huy Hoang had to compete to choose the second best person.

A few days ago, athlete Lam Quang Nhat did not go to Phu Tho Swimming Club (Ho Chi Minh City) to compete "one-on-one" with swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang. This was an internal competition to select two swimmers to compete in the 29th SEA Games in the 1,500m freestyle event. Swimmer Huy Hoang himself, who is in Can Tho training for the SEA Games, did not go to Ho Chi Minh City to compete.

Expert Nguyen Hong Minh said that it is reasonable for the coaching staff of the teams to organize competitions to select the best athletes for the 29th SEA Games. Photo: Internet

Reply to PVNghe An Newspaper, former Director of the Department of High Performance Sports, Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh said: “Firstly, to be able to participate in a sports event like the SEA Games, an athlete must reach peak performance, also known as the best sports state. That is the basic factor. And secondly, the Department of Physical Education and Sports (DST) sends him.

All athletes must be like that, no athlete is exempt from that problem. Athlete Lam Quang Nhat's reaction is even more wrong. This is not an organization or a club. This is the National Team, so choosing the best athletes is obvious. And that plan must have been made at the beginning of the year.

According to the competition rules, each event is only for 2 athletes from the same team, for example, 100m swimming is only for 2 people. Coaches are required to test 4-5 people at a distance of 100m to choose the 2 best people to compete.

Or like weightlifting, there is only one competitor, the 56 kg category has 2 excellent athletes, athlete Tran Le Quoc Toan and Thach Kim Tuan, so only one can be chosen. So the selection has its own rules. Athlete Lam Quang Nhat has no right to react like that, he is not a special case that does not need to be checked. Reacting and speaking like that is not right...

Swimmer Lam Quang Nhat of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Internet

In any case, the athletes must comply with the regulations of the organization because this is the national team. If they compete in the role of a club in the US, the athlete can go if he wants, or not go if he doesn't want. But this is an entire sports delegation established to participate in the SEA Games and Lam Quang Nhat is an athlete from Ho Chi Minh City who must comply with the general regulations of the Vietnamese sports delegation, specifically in the swimming event. I think those responsible will definitely educate this athlete." - Expert Nguyen Hong Minh concluded.

According to the investigation, in response to such reactions from the athletes, the National Swimming Team's coaching board decided that tomorrow (August 8), the three athletes Kim Son, Huy Hoang and Quang Nhat will have to compete in a "three-way" match at the National Sports Training Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

On the side of the Vietnam Aquatic Sports Association, Quang Nhat, Kim Son, and Huy Hoang will all participate in the 29th SEA Games. At the last minute, the coaching board will decide who will compete in the 1,500m freestyle. At the same time, the selection of athletes depends on the decision of the coaching board.

Trung Kien