Tran Van Dang’s journey to sports is interesting, before going to athletics, this guy born in 2000 “started” in judo. Practicing judo for more than a year, Dang broke his arm during a competition with his teammates. After the surgery, the coach, Mr. Bui Dinh Tien (Hanoi’s judo team) advised Dang to practice athletics.
Tran Van Dang won the gold medal at the 8th National Sports Games 2018.
At the end of 2014, Dang began to turn to athletics. The person who guided and instructed Dang was the coach, Nguyen Chi Dong (in charge of the average athletics team) of Hanoi.
In order to own the “New Pearl” – Tran Van Dang and a few other factors, Hanoi athletics has had to prepare forces for nearly 10 years. In which, there is a plan to recruit personnel and invest funds for overseas training sessions.
From 2015 to 2018, athletes and Mr. Tran Van Dang were sent to China for training.
For 3 years, these athletes of this age group were “hidden” to practice in China without returning to Vietnam to attend any tournament.
After the training process, success came to Hanoi athletics. At the 8th National Sports Games 2018, Van Dang created an “earthquake” on the 800m track when he won gold with a record of 1 minute 52 seconds 22, surpassing senior Duong Van Thai, who set a national record at the SEA Games in Malaysia (1:48.97) one year ago.
Meanwhile, another young runner, Khuat Phuong Anh, brought the remaining 800m women’s gold medal for Hanoi team when setting a record at the Games with a record of 2 minutes 05 seconds 89, surpassing the senior SEA Games champion 2017, Vu Thi Ly.
Tran Van Dang twice surpassed the SEA Games “champion”, Duong Van Thai, at the national athletics championship 2020.
At the National Athletics Championships 2020 taking place in mid-November at My Dinh Stadium, people witnessed Dang’s spectacular acceleration in both the 800m and 1,500m events when he won both gold medals. On the men’s 800m race, Hanoi’s Tran Van Dang accelerated strongly to reach the finish line first with 1 minute 57 seconds 58. Meanwhile, despite being highly appreciated, the defending champion, Duong Van Thai only finished third with 1 minute 58 seconds 37.
On the 1,500m run, Tran Van Dang once again overcame the “champion” of SEA Games, Duong Van Thai to finish first with a record of 4 minutes 09 seconds 94. And yet, in the men’s 4x800m content, Van Dang made a great contribution to the team to get another gold medal for Hanoi athletics.
Dang is expected to be the new “star” of Vietnamese athletics at the 31st SEA Games.
After the success at the National Athletics Championships 2020, Tran Van Dang and his teammates continued to practice at the National Sports Training Center 1, Nhon (Hanoi), to prepare for the 31st SEA Games. And especially, at this regional sports festival, Tran Van Dang is expected to be the new “star” of Vietnamese athletics.
It can be said that training young people is still the top priority for Hanoi athletics. Besides Khuat Phuong Anh, Lam Tung Duong, Nguyen Ngoc Quang, Pham Thi Thu Trang, the runner – Tran Van Dang is the “new pearl” of Hanoi athletics.
HA THANH