Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam feels happy to close the old year with the first place in every tournament boxing importance. At the end of the year of the Tiger, the girl born in 1994 won the gold medal SEA Games 31the champion of the Asian boxing tournament and the champion of the King’s Cup Thai Open boxing tournament.
Talking with the reporter of VietnamPlus online newspaper, Thai Binh native boxer confidently affirmed his goal of winning a medal at the Asian Games (ASIAD) and the world boxing championship in the New Year of the Rabbit.
A successful year for a girl of the age of the Dog
– Before the year of the Rabbit, how was the past year of Tam?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: The Year of the Tiger became the most breakthrough year for me. For the first time in my life as an athlete, I got ‘gold’ in every tournament I attended. I won the gold medal at the 31st SEA Games and then went to the Asian boxing tournament. Mixing those two achievements, she won and won the best athlete award at the Thai King’s Cup Open boxing championship.
-Among the above achievements, the gold medal at the Asian boxing tournament can be considered the most prestigious. To achieve that success, how much effort did Tam have to make?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: Honestly, I still can’t believe that I can overcome so many difficulties to win the gold medal. Before the tournament, I had a viral fever and had to take two weeks off practice. After coming back, the body is still not physically fit, so the exercise is very boring. At that time, I even got discouraged and wanted to quit. Only when I am encouraged by the teachers, ignoring the burden of achievements to participate in the tournament, can I confidently compete.
The process of competing in the Asian boxing tournament in Jordan is not simple. When moving from Vietnam to the host country, I and a member of the Vietnamese delegation were not allowed to stay at a 5-star hotel because the organizers said there were no rooms available. The whole team had to stay in hotels with poor service such as budget motels, without hot and cold water, wifi and refrigerators. After that, my coach commented and was arranged by the organizers for a better hotel. But the process of moving to the Asian boxing tournament is very hard, eating is also hard. Coaches have to buy more food for the athletes themselves because many dishes in Jordan are not to the taste.
-With such success in the past year, will Tam and his family celebrate the Lunar New Year bigger than every year?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: This Tet is like many other Tet. I practice and come home late, so I just stay at home to prepare with my family a pot of banh chung on New Year’s Eve, then enjoy the warm atmosphere of the family tray of rice in the first days of the year. For me, a warm Tet is also a big Tet. People keep saying that because of my great achievements, I have a lot of money. But in reality, I don’t get much. People talk too much, so I’m shy.
-When is the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit, when does Tam get a break and when will he start training again with new goals?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: This New Year, I’m off late like every year. It wasn’t until December 29, when I finished training at the Hanoi boxing team and then returned to my hometown Thai Binh. On the 4th day of the Lunar New Year, I had to go to Hanoi to join the army, open the spring and start training again.
Nguyen Thi Tam showed strength in the ring, different from the image of a gentle and rustic girl with her family. (Photo: Event Victory 8)Tet with me sometimes feels sad when I see my friends and everyone have a long day off. I only have about 5-6 days of Tet holiday, my hometown is far from the place of practice, so I feel even more sad.
However, for me, being able to celebrate Tet with my family is already very fun. In 2019, I played in the Czech Republic and my flight back to Vietnam was delayed. When I arrived in Hanoi, it was the 1st of Tet and I could not return to my family in time.
Waiting for the year of the Rabbit to break through
-So in the new year, what goals does Tam focus on?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: In the short term, I have to focus on maintaining fitness, then practice more skills from the coach. After the Lunar New Year, I also don’t have much time, will compete in the world championship in March 2023. This is also an Olympic qualifier, so it requires me to work as hard as possible to win tickets to the Olympics. After this tournament, I also had to quickly return to practice to aim for the 31st SEA Games in Cambodia and the Asian Games (ASIAD).
-After the Asian boxing gold medal, have you thought about big goals in the big arenas next year?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: I’ve never won a medal at ASIAD so I really want to do it next year. As for the Olympics, it’s an honor for me to participate.
I’m a girl, in the past, I felt sorry for myself because everyone said that women practice martial arts, who cares, who likes a strong man like a man… But boxing makes me stronger and overcomes many barriers. and challenge. I believe that effort will give me more worthy results.
-What about in life, does Tam want to accomplish any personal goals?
Athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: After more than 12 years of boxing practice, I was most proud and happy with 2017. At that time, I also won the Asian gold medal and had little money to bring home to celebrate Tet and send it to my family. At that time, parents also made a few trays and invited relatives to join the fun. Since then, people have been more accepting of me. Because before that, sometimes people also talk about how girls love to fight and compete in boxing.
Nguyen Thi Tam wishes to try to be rewarded to have more money and help her family. (Photo: ASBC) My family has only four people, no conditions. Every year, I only focus on competing and enjoying the prescribed salary and bonus. So, I just want all my efforts to be rewarded to have more money to take care of my family. Many athletes can make money outside, but I’m not like that. I also don’t participate in “dust” tournaments to get more money.
-Thank you Tam for this conversation at the beginning of this year!
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Achievements of athlete Nguyen Thi Tam: Bronze medal at National Boxing Championship 2013 Silver medal at National Boxing Championship 2016 Gold medal at the National Boxing Championship 4 years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) Gold medal at Asian Women’s Boxing Champion 2017 Boxing gold medal at the 2018 National Sports Festival Champion of the European – Asian Star Boxing Tournament 2019 Silver medal at Asian Women’s Boxing Champion 2019 5th place at the World Women’s Boxing Championships 2019 Gold medal at SEA Games 30 and 31 Gold medal at Asian Boxing Championship 2022 |
Hien Nguyen (Vietnam+)