Over the past decade, Da Nang’s talented swimmer Hoang Quy Phuoc has always been one of the "golden medal hopes" of the city’s sports sector at national and international-level swimming competitions. Currently, Phuoc is hoping to shine at the 31^st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 9^th National Sports Festival in 2022.

Hoang Quy Phuoc ( in photo) wants to end his playing career with a happy ending

During the city's 3-month social distancing period, like his teammates, Phuoc got non-pool swimming workouts, mainly with jogging exercises, in order to build muscle, and maintain good health and fitness. This had significant negative impact on his health and performances.

Mr Phan Thanh Toai, the Head of the municipal Diving and Swimming Club, said, due to Da Nang's social distancing, both Phuoc and Nguyen Huu Kim Son - also one of the city’s talented swimmers, who both have been selected for Vietnamese swimming team, were not trained in the familiar environment. Therefore, they found it easy to fall into a feeling of fatigue and lose their excitement.

Fortunately, starting from mid-September, Phuoc and his teammates have got back to training in pools in preparation for forthcoming national and international sports competitions as the coronavirus pandemic is brought under control in Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole.

According to Mr. Phan Thanh Toai, it often takes top athletes about 3-4 weeks to get normal parameters after a long time. But as for the improvement of their performances, athletes are in need of a regular training process for a long time. As for Phuoc, he admitted that he had only achieved average parameters and was still working hard to be back to his old self soon.

Director of the Da Nang Athlete Training Centre Nguyen Dong Hai could not hide his worry about athletes’ endurance fitness.

“When it comes to strength training for endurance fitness, the training board needs to take training lessons step by step and must base on the physical condition of each athlete. If not, athletes are more prone to injury” added Mr Toai.

It is worth mentioning that, currently, the national team's coaching board is providing common lessons for the entire swimming team, instead of making compatible adjustments. Therefore, Phuoc is facing many difficulties to complete such exercises as desired. He himself worries a lot because he always faces the risk of injury when practicing such lessons.

However, Hoang Quy Phuoc is going the extra mile to gain the highest successes at the 31^st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) and the 9^th National Sports Festival in 2022.

The 'extraordinary man of the Han River' recently unveiled his future plans: “After the 31st SEA Games ends, I will say goodbye to the national team to return to Da Nang. Then, I will ask for permission from the Da Nang government to go to school in tandem with playing for the city’s swimming team”.

In it all, we are waiting and hoping that a training trip in Hungary, along with the guidance of coach Peter Nagy - a familiar coach during his time training at BVSC Club - will give Hoang Quy Phuoc extra motivation in the races to conquer glory.

Reporting by NGUYEN AN - Translating by M.D