Vietnam's Taekwondo Struggles to Recapture Glory

Vietnam's taekwondo team is struggling to regain its past glory, sending a significantly reduced contingent to the 2026 Asian Games. Only four athletes have qualified, a sharp drop from the eight who competed in 2023. This smaller team includes Nguyễn Xuân Thành and Châu Ngọc Tuyết Sang, who secured spots in individual creative poomsae, and Nguyễn Thị Loan and Bạc Thị Khiêm in sparring.

The team's performance has also seen a noticeable decline. At the 2023 Asian Games, Vietnam won three bronze medals. However, at the recent 2024 Asian Taekwondo Championships in Da Nang, they secured one gold and two bronze medals in sparring. This year's Asian Championships in Mongolia yielded no medals at all. Even established athletes like Bạc Thị Khiêm and Nguyễn Thị Loan, considered a successor to the retired Trương Thị Kim Tuyền, have not performed to their previous standards. Promising SEA Games champions like Nguyễn Hồng Trọng and Trần Thị Ánh Tuyết also exited early in the continental competition.

The challenges extend to the poomsae discipline, where a generational gap is evident. While younger athletes like Nguyễn Xuân Thành and Châu Ngọc Tuyết Sang have qualified for the Asiad, their ability to compete for medals remains uncertain. The team's struggles in continental competitions raise doubts about their prospects for returning to the Olympic stage after missing the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Games.

Efforts to revitalize the team have included hiring Iranian coach Erfan Heydari for the men's sparring team earlier in 2025. However, Heydari departed after the 33rd SEA Games. The men's sparring team currently trains with the women's Korean coach while awaiting decisions from the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation (VTF) and the General Department of Sports and Physical Education. The VTF aims to rehire an Iranian expert but requires approval from the sports administration. VTF Vice President and General Secretary Nguyễn Thanh Huy emphasized the need for strategic investment, stating, "If we just grope around in the dark and then throw them out to compete, we cannot achieve results." He noted that other strong taekwondo nations, including China, also employ Iranian coaches, highlighting the need for Vietnam to discuss this with sports authorities.

“

On June 9 and 10, the VTF Executive Committee will go to Hanoi to work with the General Department of Sports and Physical Education to see how to invest, because if we just grope around in the dark and then throw them out to compete, we cannot achieve results.