A grand welcome back for Anh Vien.

Although media reports indicated that the flight from Singapore carrying Anh Vien would arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport at 9:30 PM on June 12th, hundreds of fans had already gathered at the airport as early as 6 PM to welcome their idol.

According to the schedule, the flight carrying Nguyen Thi Anh Vien and coach Dang Anh Tuan was supposed to land at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 9:30 PM on June 12th. However, from 8 PM onwards, hundreds of fans and reporters from various media outlets had already gathered to prepare to welcome Vietnam's number one female swimmer.

After a moment of shyness, Ánh Viên broke into a bright smile and waved to her fans.

In their hands were bouquets of fresh flowers and puzzle pieces printed with the words "We love Ánh Viên," "Ánh Viên, the legendary number 8," "Ánh Viên No. 1"... Most impressive was the magnificent banner featuring Ánh Viên's radiant smile and the words "Congratulations, little mermaid Ánh Viên." Trà My, 20 years old, a student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages ​​and Information Technology, excitedly said: "We waited every minute, every hour to welcome her back. In this SEA Games 28, Ánh Viên was amazing, making us incredibly proud. She is an idol, the pride of our youth."

Among the hundreds of fans welcoming the swimmer who won 8 gold medals at the 28th SEA Games were Anh Vien's family and relatives. Mr. Nguyen Van Tac (42 years old) - Anh Vien's father - said that his whole family was picked up by a vehicle from the National Defense Center 4 and transported from Can Tho to Saigon. With dozens of cameras and bright lights shining on them, Anh Vien's family smiled shyly. Mr. Tac, wearing a simple T-shirt and shoes he said were a gift from the army, sat waiting for his daughter to appear, his hands clasped together, a gentle smile on his face.

It wasn't just him; a bright, genuine smile always shone on the face of his wife, Mrs. Anh Hong, and their youngest son, Nguyen Quang Thuan, only 9 years old, as they eagerly awaited the return of their older sister, Anh Vien. "At first, I heard she wouldn't be back until tomorrow (June 13th), but then the flight time changed, so I didn't have time to prepare any gifts for her. The only gift we have is a spiritual one: the whole family came here to visit her," Mr. Tac shared.

Ms. Anh Hong said that whenever Anh Vien went to compete, her family didn't dare call her because they were afraid it would affect her mental state. "She was focused on the competition, and because she wanted to concentrate, she never took her phone with her. Throughout the SEA Games 28, the whole family watched her competition, feeling very nervous. Even now, waiting for her to come home, we're still nervous. We don't know if Anh Vien will be able to come home to visit because she still has her semester exams. She's in 11th grade," Ms. Anh Hong said.

The flight bringing Anh Vien back to Vietnam landed later than scheduled. It wasn't until 10 PM that Anh Vien and her coach, Dang Anh Tuan, appeared. The golden girl of Vietnamese swimming waved and flashed her familiar, genuine, radiant smile. Hundreds of fans cheered, calling out the 19-year-old's name, while the media swarmed around the "little swimming sensation." Anh Vien looked around, seemingly searching for her parents and younger brother – who were now obscured by the enthusiastic crowd.

The young girl was once again surrounded by fans and spoke to the media. “I was so surprised, I didn’t think so many people would come to greet me. I’m very happy to have achieved this,” Ánh Viên said with a smile to Tuổi Trẻ newspaper.

For over 30 minutes, Ánh Viên and her coach struggled to inch their way to the waiting area for the car. Overwhelmed by the fans and the press, the young swimmer was drenched in sweat. With the help of a member of the National Defense Center 4, Ánh Viên's parents and younger brother were finally able to reach her. Seeing her parents and brother, the young swimmer smiled happily. Mr. and Mrs. Tác looked at their daughter with joy, unable to say a word. The family reunion lasted only a few brief minutes because Ánh Viên had to get back into the car and head straight to Center 2. Coach Đặng Anh Tuấn explained that Ánh Viên couldn't go home yet due to her packed schedule. Immediately afterward, the two would travel to the United States to continue their pursuit of new goals.

According to Tuoi Tre/VnExpress