HA NOI — Fencer Nguyen Tien Nhat has added his name among other Vietnamese Olympians after competing in the Fencing London Olympic Asia & Oceania Final Qualifying Tournament which wrapped up in Wakayama, Japan on Saturday.

Nhat won a silver medal in the men's epee event after losing 7-15 to Uzbekistan opponent Ruslan Kudayev in the final match.

Earlier the Vietnamese defeated Japanese Nishida Shogo 15-3 in the quarter-finals and Leung Ka Ming of Hong Kong 15-10 in the semi-final round.

His results were enough for Nhat to earn a spot at the London Games, a ticket which is the first for him and the nation.

Nhat started fencing in 2005, quickly proved his ability, and was soon called to the national team. The 22-year-old played a key role in helping Viet Nam win a bronze medal in the men's team epee event after his own individual bronze last November at the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia. Earlier he took two golds at the national championships.

His personal best was 75/223 ranking at the world championships 2011 in Italy.

Nhat is the 10th athlete from Viet Nam who will head to London this summer.

The Viet Nam Olympics Committee set a target of 15 Olympians. The other Olympic hopefuls are in track-and-field, wrestling, weightlifting and rowing. — VNS