by Ngo Tien Thanh

Aiming high: Archer Nguyen Tien Cuong says he dreams of competing in the Olympics one day. — VNS Photo

HA NOI (VNS)— Archer Nguyen Tien Cuong is hoping to build on his initial successes at regional competitions to lift the profile of his sport in Viet Nam while also pursuing his dream to one day compete at the Olympics.

While archery is an ancient sport that was introduced into the modern Olympics in 1900, and had been a Vietnamese traditional martial art, it is still relatively new in mordern Viet Nam.

In recent years archery has attracted more public attention, in part thanks to Cuong's successes at tournaments abroad. The 23-year-old archer won a gold medal in the team event at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2007 and two individual gold medals at the SEA Games in 2009. The Ha Noi-based sportsman also won five gold medals in the 50m and 70m events at the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 Asian Games.

Cuong was first introduced to the sport by a neighbour 10 years ago, when Cuong was just 15 years old.

"Coming to archery was fortuitous for me," says Cuong. "When I was in high school, I got to know one of my neighbours whose hobby was archery and I asked him to let me have a go. Since then my skills have improved and I began getting into the swing of the sport."

Cuong says he took to archery like a fish to water, quickly mastering all the basics and becoming a formidable competitor.

The rising talent quickly drew the attention of Vietnamese coaches and he was selected to compete for Ha Noi's team at a national competition in 2004, before competing for the first time at the Southeast Asia Games one year later.

"Besides the advantage of being tall and strong, Cuong is also a very fast learner," said Cap Manh Tan, who has coached Cuong since 2005.

"Cuong is also very dicsiplined and determined. He always tries his best to achieve the best possible result."

In 2007 Cuong became the first Vietnamese archer to win a gold medal at a major regional tournament.

"One of the most demanding aspects of archery is that it requires athletes to practise the same technique everyday regardless of the weather," said Cuong.

The Hanoian, however, is very down to earth in regards to his ability and the challenges for Vietnamese archers.

Cuong returned from the World Games, an international multi-sports tournament, one week ago, failing to win any medals.

"I need more opportunities to compete at large international tournaments," he said, adding that every year he only competed in two international events while the world's top players competed every month.

A lack of top-level training and quality equipment is also a big challenge for the country's archers. Tan said the lack of quality bows as well as the limited number of arrows put Vietnamese competitors at a disadvantage.

"Bows and arrows must be maintained well so they are up to standard," said Tan.

Cuong said that qualifying for the Olympics would be a dream come true. After a series of successes at international tournaments, Cuong has not only become the key force in the national team but has also been appointed as an assistant coach.

"At the moment, I focus on training and winning more medals at the international competitions and I will switch to a coaching career when I feel that I cannot do so well as a competitor," he said. — VNS