My Hanh's blissful moment of receiving the gold medal on the rostrum at SEA Games 30.

Overwhelming with 10-point difference

"I don't think I can win all the rivals in the women's 62kg freestyle wrestling at SEA Games 30 with such a difference score,nhan dinh bayern" Nguyen Thi My Hanh, the athlete of Hue wrestling team suddenly said, after winning the gold medal at Southeast Asia’s biggest sports festival.

"Having ruled the roost" in the national and regional arenas in 62kg category and won the bronze medal at ASIAD 18 in 2018, My Hanh was quite confident of joining in SEA Games 30. Even so, Hanh was also very careful because SEA Games is a playground where Hue team has never won a medal since its foundation.

My Hanh beat Thai athlete in the first round of competition, but, as the girl from Quang Dien shared, she did not think that she could win against the rival with an overwhelming score of 10-0. "I believed I could beat Thai wrestlers, but it was by no means easy. I did not expect to wipe the floor with her," My Hanh laughed.

Perhaps defeating one of the opponents forecast to be quite strong gave My Hanh more confidence. Therefore, entering the second round to meet the Philippine host country, despite the pressure from the stands, the "golden girl” of Hue wrestling team easily beat the opponent 10-0.

In the next 2 games against the Cambodian and Singaporean athletes, My Hanh still maintained the 10-point difference. Most shockingly, the score of 10-0 achieved by Hanh against the Cambodian athlete was in just 30 seconds before she defeated the Singaporean athlete in the final with the score of 11-1 to get the first gold medal at the SEA Games in the history of Hue wrestling team. Concurrently, she helped Hue sports fulfill the target of contributing 1 gold medal at SEA Games 30 to the Vietnamese Sports Delegation.

"At present, My Hanh is Southeast Asia’s athlete without rival in the women's 62kg wrestling," Hue wrestling team coach Dinh Van Kien affirmed.

Success from hard training

My Hanh was born in 1997 in Sia Town (Quang Dien), only a short walk from Thu Le  Village (Quang Phuoc, Quang Dien), where there always appear the exhilarant festival drums and jubilant wrestling arenas in early spring. Therefore, it was not surprising that at age 10, she many times knocked down her friends, even boys at play.

Two years later, once Hue wrestling team recruited new members, through the matches with the friends over her age, the girl got coach Dinh Van Kien to say to himself, “ Hanh must be recruited at all cost."

"When the suggestion was made for My Hanh's family, her parents were afraid that their daughter was too young to be far away from the family, so they disagreed.It took me a lot of efforts to convince them to agree,” coach Dinh Van Kien recalled.

Leaving home at age 13, perhaps with the deep-rooted gentleness and hard work, My Hanh knew how to overcome difficulties and sadness when homesick soon after acquainting herself with the new life.

After a period of hard training, the first gold medal at the Youth Championship in Thanh Hoa became a springboard for My Hanh to confidently pursue the path of professional athletes.

In the time that followed, with the style of overwhelming attack, My Hanh continuously left her mark on the domestic and regional tournaments, notably the 4th place in the Asian Youth Tournament and the World Youth Tournament in 2013. In the following years, My Hanh continuously won glories, most recently the bronze medal at ASIAD 18 and the gold medals at the Southeast Asia Championship 2019 and SEA Games 30.

Four sisters pursue wrestling

Back in time, 5 years after My Hanh had joined Hue wrestling team, once again coach Dinh Van Kien returned to Sia to persuade My Trang, My Hanh's younger sister, to join the team. Inheriting the quality and experience from her elder sister, after only 1 year, the girl born in 2001 won medals at the youth tournaments, and 4 years later, Trang followed in her sister’s footstep to join the national team.

Four sisters My Hanh, My Trang, My Tien and My Linh

But this is not the last time coach Dinh Van Kien has persuaded My Hanh's family. Once during the conversation, Hanh's parents joked that I was “a gold-digger” when I "took" their four daughters," coach Dinh Van Kien smiled with eyes mixed with happiness.

In 2014, also from coach Dinh Van Kien, My Linh (born in 2003), the next younger sister of Hanh and Trang continued to join the Hue wrestling team. And after only 5 months, Linh won the silver medal at the Youth Championship in Bac Ninh. “With the qualities inherited from her elder sisters - the comprehensive attack and defense, it is normal for Linh to knock down a male athlete, or a heavier-weight athlete during practice," said coach Dinh Van Kien.

In July 2019, coach Dinh Van Kien continued to return to Sia Town. As soon as he set foot in the gate, Hanh, Trang and Linh's parents instantly said whether little Tien (Nguyen Thi My Tien - Hanh, Trang and Linh's youngest sister) also caught his eye. And now, My Tien, a ninth-grade schoolgirl of Pham Van Dong Junior Secondary School, becomes an athlete actively trained by coach Dinh Van Kien in Hue wrestling team.

“After My Tien is My Nhan born in 2007, she is also my object. However, for My Nhan to follow in the first four sisters’ footsteps may be a bit difficult. She is the youngest of My Hanh's seven siblings, so My Hanh's parents probably don’t have the heart to “marry” her to Hue wrestling team. But no one can tell ...,” coach Dinh Van Kien smiled and hoped.

 My Hanh is coach Dinh Van Kien’s right-hand girl. After returning from the national team, in addition to training with teammates, My Hanh also plays the role of a coach for the succeeding athletes. As shared by the Quang Dien girl, it is Hanh's direction after retirement if she is facilitated by the province and sports sector.

Story: Vo Nhan

Photos:H.My - Vo Nhan

(责任编辑：Cúp C1)