Female Pencak Silat Athlete and Her Journey to Finding Herself
(Baonghean.vn) - Now, although she has gone through many important milestones in her career and is no longer at an age where she is in her prime, Tran Thi An - a Pencak silat athlete who has won many medals for the province's sports, is still trying to regain her form.
Find yourself
On a late November afternoon, amidst the bitter cold that has swept over Vinh City, athletes from the Nghe An Sports Training and Competition Center are still diligently practicing. Because in just a few days, the CupPencak SilatThe open will be held in Hai Phong. Despite the cold weather, you can see the sweat soaking Nguyen Thi An's shirt. On the ring, her nimble feet are constantly striking, trying to score points against her opponent.
An said: “In training sessions, if I want to avoid injury or being hit, I have to practice with the mindset of being on the fighting ring, being serious and giving my all in every movement, every step, that will help me improve my physical strength as well as my technique. I also often compete with male friends because they are more talented than me, from there I will learn more.”
Two years ago, athlete Nguyen Thi An got married and had a child; to fulfill her role as a woman, she had to leave the competition for a long time. The long period of not being able to practice has greatly reduced An's physical strength. After a period of maternity leave and childcare, when she returned to the competition, it was during the pandemic break, so now An is racing against time to regain her competitive spirit.
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| Tran Thi An and the Nghe An Pencak Silat delegations participated in the National Pencak Silat Championship. Photo: NVCC |
An said: “Now that there is not much time left for the Open Cup, I am trying every day to regain my physical strength and endurance. In addition to regular class time, I also take the time to jog, do supplementary exercises to improve my health and practice more competitive matches to get used to the feeling of competition after a long break.”
The Pencak Silat Open Cup is not a major tournament of the year, but it is a tournament that many athletes are looking forward to. Because after a long break due to the pandemic, everyone wants to show themselves and regain their form. Athlete Tran Thi An also has a very high goal in this tournament. She wants to win a Gold medal, which is like an affirmation to everyone that she is back.
New expectations
Tran Thi An's relationship with Pencak Silat was also full of surprises because the girl from Nghi Xuan district (Ha Tinh) was very passionate about sports since she was young, but she never thought she would pursue this career. Right at school, An was an outstanding student in athletics, bringing many medals to her school. Having shown her qualities early, in grade 9, her teacher introduced her to the Nghe An Province Sports Training and Competition Center to compete.
Right from the first tests, Coach Trinh Thi Mui assessed Tran Thi An as a talented girl and An was recruited into the center. Entering a professional sports environment with initial confusion, but with her will, determination and high spirit of progress, she quickly caught up with the training programs given by the Coach.
“I always thought I was not a person with much natural talent for sports, so I worked very hard in training. I tried to do every move the coach gave me many times to master it,” An said.
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| Tran Thi An won the Gold medal at the 2017 National Pencak Silat Club Championship. Photo: NVCC |
In 2013, after training for a year at the center, An was allowed by the coach to compete in the national youth tournament. It was her first time participating in a major tournament, her experience and mentality were still immature, so the girl from Nghi Xuan suffered a quick defeat and was eliminated from the tournament. After that tournament, An was not disappointed in herself but was more determined to come back stronger.
A year after the defeat, An stepped into the ring with a different mindset. Confident and brave after a period of training and careful tactics, to enter the semi-finals, the girl born in 1996 had to defeat 17 athletes from many provinces and cities across the country. In that year's tournament, she stopped with a bronze medal.
“That was the first medal in my career. Although it was not the expected achievement, it was a medal that I tried my best to win. I felt comfortable and told myself to try harder in the future,” athlete Tran Thi An recalled.
The following years were the "gold-picking" years of Tran Thi An. She won 4 gold medals, along with many silver and bronze medals in different tournaments. To achieve that achievement, before entering each tournament, An always pondered over the tactics given by the coach. It was her seriousness with the profession that brought her to the successes that many athletes dream of.
An shared: “The journey of being involved in sports has brought me many things, titles and a bright future. Coming from a poor family, sports has given me a more fulfilling life, a warm and happy family. I will continue to strive harder in the future.”
Now Tran Thi An has reached the peak of her career, with her experience and seriousness, she will still be a promising athlete who will bring more medals to the province's sports.
