Le Sy Khanh - The golden hope of Nghe An's sepak takraw team.

Tears... in pursuit of passion

Every afternoon, at the Nghe An Provincial Sports Arena, the team...shuttlecock kickingThe athletes woke up and diligently trained. They enthusiastically performed specialized exercises: fast, precise, and tricky shots; quick and timely blocking and receiving reflexes; handling situations involving shots from far from the net; and executing high jump shots with optimal effectiveness. The training session was serious but not without laughter, encouragement, and team spirit.

In that team, Le Sy Khanh (19 years old) is one of the most promising talents, expected to bring home many gold medals for the province's sports.

On the training ground, Khanh is always persistent and focused on his training. Every movement exudes proficiency, strength, and high determination. Although he has only been with the provincial team for 4 years, Khanh has already managed to win 4 gold medals at national championships.

Khanh embarked on his professional sports career later than his teammates. From a young age, the student from Do Luong commune loved sepak takraw, always carrying a shuttlecock in his schoolbag and taking advantage of every break time to play with friends. Thanks to his skillful technique, in 8th grade, Khanh won first prize at the 2020 Phu Dong Sports Festival in the district. From then on, Khanh was discovered by coaches from the Nghe An Sports Training and Competition Center and invited to join the provincial team.

Upon receiving her acceptance letter, Khanh was overjoyed, but her parents were worried, fearing that their young daughter would be far from home in a harsh new environment, potentially leading to injuries and affecting her studies. It took a long time to convince them before Khanh finally received their permission to pursue her passion, with the promise that she would excel in her studies and train diligently.

Entering a new environment, Khanh shed tears more than once. His home was far away, only returning every two weeks; his parents were too busy to visit frequently; he had few friends; his skills were limited; he had to balance his studies with intense training, and injuries were inevitable.

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For the first three months, I practiced stretching and splits to increase flexibility, and I was in so much pain I cried. The high-intensity training sessions left my body exhausted, I couldn't even eat, and I even thought about giving up. But thanks to the encouragement of my teachers, I told myself I had to persevere in pursuing my dream.

Athlete Le Sy Khanh

Thanks to his passion and determination, Khanh overcame the difficult period, gradually adapted to the training regimen, and his skills improved significantly. Exercises like spinning the shuttlecock and jumping high to attack over the net, which once worried Khanh, have now become proficient movements.

The dream of conquering the peak.

In 2022, after a year of training, Khanh participated in the National Beach Sepak Takraw Championship in the doubles and triples events and won her first Silver Medal. This medal further motivated her to strive for higher goals.

From 2022 to the present, Khanh has been an official member of the Nghe An beach sepak takraw team, participating in national championships and national youth championships, winning 4 national gold medals along with many silver and bronze medals. The most recent gold medal this athlete won was at the 2024 National Beach Sepak Takraw Championship.

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What I've achieved so far is still very small. In the team, senior players like Le Cong Tai (10 national gold medals, Asian gold medal, world silver medal) and Le Anh Duc (multiple national, Asian, and world champions) are great role models for me to learn from. To achieve the same success as them, I have to work much harder, train diligently, and improve my competitive spirit. My immediate goal is to win a gold medal at the 2025 National Youth Championships, be called up to the national team, and achieve glory in international competitions."

Athlete Le Sy Khanh

Coach Ho Thi Minh Thuan (Nghe An Sports Training and Competition Center) commented: “Khanh is self-disciplined, diligent in training, progresses quickly, has good tactical thinking, coordinates smoothly with teammates, and has a strong competitive mentality. Khanh is still very young; if he maintains his form, he can absolutely be part of the national team and participate in continental and world tournaments.”

Sepak Takraw is a sport with a long career lifespan; athletes can compete until the age of 35-36, like athlete Le Cong Tai. Therefore, Khanh still has plenty of time to contribute to sports in his province and Vietnam.

What's admirable is that after training, Khanh often guides and shares his skills with younger athletes in the team, helping them persevere and strive to achieve their goals. Khanh plans to apply to study Physical Education at Vinh University to become a physical education teacher in the future, continuing to inspire a passion for sports in the younger generation.