Le Cong Tai aims for a "Gold" medal for Nghe An sepak takraw.
While not as famous as football or other martial arts, Nghe An's sepak takraw team is still considered one of the top teams in the country. At the upcoming 10th National Sports Games, Nghe An's sepak takraw team aims to win a gold medal, and all hopes rest on veteran athlete Le Cong Tai.
Having been with the Nghe An sepak takraw team since 2005, after more than 20 years dedicated to sepak takraw, with his intense passion, unwavering will, and perseverance, Le Cong Tai has become one of the most accomplished athletes of Nghe An's high-performance sports teams in general and sepak takraw in particular. Having participated in the National Sports Games in 2014, 2018, and 2022 and achieving top results each time, it can be said that this year's Games will be an opportunity for Cong Tai to complete a "poker" of gold medals in his competition.
Athlete Le Cong Tai (born in 1993) was born in Hung Dung, Vinh City (formerly), now Truong Vinh Ward, Nghe An Province. Born into a family with no one pursuing sports, his passion for sepak takraw led him to join the Nghe An sepak takraw team after being discovered at the provincial Phu Dong Sports Festival. Initially, Le Cong Tai faced many difficulties in showcasing his talent in major tournaments. However, with unwavering determination and persistent effort, success came with a Silver Medal at the 2009 National Youth Sepak Takraw Championship, nearly five years after training with the Nghe An sepak takraw team.
Starting off strong, the 2012 National Sepak Takraw Championship marked a major turning point in Le Cong Tai's career when he won his first prestigious gold medal in the men's singles event. Since then, he has won 7 gold medals at the National Sepak Takraw Championship and 3 gold medals at the National Sports Games in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Furthermore, in 2026, Le Cong Tai will participate with the Vietnamese national team in the World Championship in Germany in August 2026 and win a gold medal in the men's triples event.
Having been involved in Nghe An's high-performance sports for over a decade, Le Cong Tai is currently one of the oldest athletes in sepak takraw in particular and in other high-performance sports teams of Nghe An in general. Despite his age and having a family, Le Cong Tai is determined to continue his commitment to the Nghe An sepak takraw team.
These days, while the sepak takraw team, like other sports teams, is focusing all its efforts on the 10th National Sports Games, Le Cong Tai and his teammates are practicing kicks, drop shots, net sweeps, and powerful spinning shots in the air. Le Cong Tai's seriousness has motivated promising young athletes such as Le Anh Duc, Nguyen Viet Hoang, Le Sy Khanh, etc., to train hard and aim for the highest possible achievements at the games.
According to the coach of the Nghe An sepak takraw team, Ho Minh Thuan: "The strongest point of athlete Le Cong Tai is his extremely diligent training, unwavering competitive spirit, extensive experience, and especially his burning passion for sepak takraw." This also explains why Le Cong Tai hasn't considered retirement despite his age, because he still feels capable of competing and contributing high achievements to his hometown's sports.
The 10th National Sports Games in 2026, the largest multi-sport event in Vietnam, will be held from November 14th to December 12th, 2026. It's not only a top-level competition to affirm the position of participating sports delegations, but also a measure of investment and development in each sport across localities. Le Cong Tai enters this year's tournament not only as an experienced athlete, but also as a leader and source of inspiration for his younger teammates. He understands that his opponents at this year's Games come from strong teams like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap, and Bac Ninh – places with long-standing sepak takraw traditions and abundant talent. Le Cong Tai's goal of winning "Gold" isn't just about stepping onto the highest podium to receive a medal. It's also about spreading the sepak takraw movement throughout Nghe An province.
With only a short time left until the start of the 10th National Sports Games in 2026, coach Ho Minh Thuan and 17 members of the Nghe An sepak takraw team, including Le Cong Tai, are still working diligently towards their goal of finishing among the top teams nationwide and winning at least one gold medal, contributing to the overall achievements of Nghe An sports at the Games.
