SEA Games athletics champion receives financial support

Politburo member and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on Monday visited and presented a savings book worth VND400 million (US$18,400) to sprinter Nguyen Thi Huyen - the winner of three SEA Games gold medals in Singapore.

Vietnamese sprinter Nguyen Thi Huyen

VFF President Nhan congratulated and praised Huyen’s efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges, while expressing his strong hope for her greater successes in the future.

He also asked the Nam Dinh provincial People’s Committee and the General Department of Sports and Physical Training to continue supporting and creating favourable conditions for Huyen to harvest further achievements in the years to come.

Huyen was among Vietnam’s most outstanding performers at the recent 28th SEA Games in Singapore with her stunning tally of two individual gold medals in the women’s 400m and 400m hurdles and another team title in the women’s 4x400m relay.

She is also the first Vietnamese sprinter to secure a berth at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games after surpassing the Olympic B standard in both the 400m and 400m hurdles events.

Most recently, Huyen took part in the 2015 Asian Grand Prix series in Thailand and continued having fans on their feet by winning two more gold medals in the 400m dash.

Despite such exceptional achievements, Huyen is an athlete of extreme difficulty losing her father at the early age and now living with her elderly mother and a sister with innate neuropathy.

The financial encouragement from the VFF president is expected to help Huyen care for her family and focus on her athletics career.  

Huyen is planned to be sent for training in Russia in preparation for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, where she will strive to realise her Olympic medal dream.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)