As 2016 draws to a close, DTiNews picks out the most outstanding sports events of the year.
1. Olympic gold medal for shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh
Hoang Xuan Vinh won Vietnam’s first gold medal in the ten-metre air pistol event at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil on August 7. He scored 202.5 points, setting an Olympic record. On the next day, he won silver in the 50 metre pistol event.
2. Le Van Cong won gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games
Vietnam won its first medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games in Brazil this year. Le Van Cong broke the world record in the men’s 49kg class by lifting 183kg. The Vietnamese team went on to win one silver medal and two bronze medals.
3. Vietnam football team qualified for U20 World Cup
Vietnam beat North Korea 2-1 in the U19 Asian Championships to qualify for the U20 World Cup for the first time. After drawing against UAE and Iraq and winning against Bahrain, the team reached U19Asian Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals for the first time. The team qualified for the FIFA U20 World Cup to be held in South Korea next year.
4. Vietnam makes FIFA Futsal World Cup knockout stages
The Vietnam futsal team beat Japan in the AFC Futsal Championship in February to earn the first ticket to FIFA Futsal World Cup. Under the guidance of coach Bruno Garcia, the team made the knock-out stages of the tournament.
5. Fifth Asian Beach Games held in Danang
Hosts Vietnam led the chart with 52 gold medals, 44 silver medals and 43 bronze medals. Thailand came second, followed by China. The Asian Beach Games are used to promote tourism.
6. Vietnam loses in AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final
Vietnam unluckily lost 4-3 to Indonesia in the semi-finals against an Indonesian team that made the most of Vietnam's defensive frailties. Vietnam put on a brave display and pushed the game into extra time despite playing with 10 men for the concluding stages of the home leg.
7. The 9th Phu Dong Sport Festival
Ho Chi Minh City led the festival with 9610 points.
The festival is focused on identifying young talented athletes. However, some teams had violated the rules by bringing experienced athletes back to compete at the festival.
8. Nguyen Thi Anh Vien sets new Asian swimming record
In November, Nguyen Thi Anh Vien broke the record set by Chinese swimmer Liu Jing in 2002 after finishing the women’s 400m individual medley with a time of 4:37:71.
9. Gold medal won at the Asian Individual Blitz Women Chess Championship
Nguyen Thi Mai Hung won a gold medal at the Asian Individual Blitz Women Chess Championship in Uzbekistan on June 4. Meanwhile, Le Quang Liem won two silver medals. Hung and Liem qualified for the 2017 Chess World Cup.
10. Vietnam tennis impresses at Davis Cup
Young players Ly Hoang Nam and Nguyen Hoang Thien recorded impressive wins against Indonesian rivals and maintained the team's position in Group II despite eventually losing to Thailand.
