In recent years, Da Nang’s athletics sector has been focusing on selecting and training young talents with the aim to build the next generation of quality track and field athletes in preparation for national and international championships.

Nguyen Khanh Ly (left) is one of the promising athletes of Da Nang athletics. IN PHOTOS: Nguyen Khanh Ly won the second prize in the 5km event at the 27th DA NANG Newspaper Road Races in 2024. Photo: P.N

Among them, such young athletes as Nguyen Khanh Ly, Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang and Bien Van Anh have showed development prospects, contributing positively to the overall achievements of the city's athletics and being called up to the national athletics team.

Athletics is one of the city’s strong sports, helping the local high-performance sports achieve success in recent years.

Among them, Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc and Nguyen Thanh Ngung are prominent athletes, helping the city win many noble medals at national and international tournaments. To maintain its position, Da Nang’s athletics sector has been paying special attention to training young people. Currently, some athletes show their great potential for future development.

As for running, Nguyen Khanh Ly, 21, has gradually asserted herself. Born in Quang Tri Province, in 2016, Khanh Ly was discovered by the coach of the Da Nang athletics team and facilitated to live and practice at the Da Nang Athlete Training and Coaching Centre.

Since 2017, she has begun participating in the athletics championships for youth groups and the national youth athletics championships. Notably, she won the silver medal at the 2020 national youth group athletics championship in Tay Ninh, she won the Silver medal.

Besides, Khanh Ly has actively taken part in running events to accumulate competition experience. In particular, she won first prize in the 6km event at the Son Tra Run Challenge 2023; the first prize in the 10km event at the 2024 Da Nang International Marathon; and the second prize in the 5km event at the 27^th DA NANG Newspaper Road Races.

Her great efforts have been paid off when she was called up to the national athletics team in 2023.

“Coaches at the Da Nang Athlete Training and Coaching Centre and the national athletics team encouraged and supported me to pursue my passion. My favorite running event is 800 to 1,500m. I will try my best to improve my own abilities in order to meet the expectations of coaches. In 2024, I will attend the national athletics championship with the Da Nang athletics team. I will do my utmost to gain more success in the coming time" Khanh Ly confided.

According to Coach Nguyen Duc Thao, running team of the Da Nang athletics team, Khanh Ly is one of the athletes with great potential for future development. The coaching staff creates the best conditions for her as well as members of the Da Nang athletics team in training and competition.

As for the walking event, two promising young athletes, named Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang and Bien Van Anh are called up to the national athletics team. These two athletes were born in 2006 and hailed from Quang Tri Province, and their talents were discovered while participating in athletics tournaments for their schools.

After entering the Da Nang Athlete Training and Coaching Centre, the two athletes showed their ability in walking and were guided by the coach to pursue a professional path.

Since 2020, Quynh Trang and Van Anh have competed in many national championships for the Da Nang athletics team. Quynh Trang won the bronze medal in 2022 and the silver medal in 2023 at the 2023 national athletics championship for youth clubs.

Meanwhile, Van Anh took the silver medal in 2022 and the gold medal in 2023.

Van Anh said: "At first I didn't know much about walking. The more I practice, the more I love this sport and wish to win noble medals for high-performance sports in Da Nang. My goal in the future is to explore my limits, attend major tournaments, and follow in the footsteps of the Da Nang athletics team who have succeeded in walking".

According to coach Tran Anh Hiep, aside from creating conditions for young athletes to develop as expected, the athletics team in particular and other sports teams of Da Nang in general make efforts to find and select talented athletes every year to build a force of quality athletes.

Van Anh and Quynh Trang are two promising athletes selected through careful screenings. In 2024, the Da Nang athletics team plan to compete in 3 national championships including national youth athletics championship, national youth group athletics championship, and national athletics championship. Among them, Van Anh and Quynh Trang are two of the athletes expected to help Da Nang athletics win medals in the walking content of youth tournaments.

Reporting by PHI NONG - Translating by M.DUNG