Vietnamese shooters aim for two main targets in 2021

"The team will try to fulfill a mission, that is qualifying for all Olympic shooting categories this year," Nguyen Thi Nhung, vice chairman of Vietnam Shooting Federation (VSF) and head coach of the national shooting team, told media.

"In addition, we will propose to add some Asian Games shooting categories to SEA Games 31. Although these categories are not our strength, we want to ensure fair competition between shooters across Southeast Asia," she added.

Nhung confirmed Vietnam aims to foster the next generation of elite national team shooters at SEA Games 31, which will be hosted by Vietnam in November, instead of solely relying on veterans, hoping to enter bigger contests like Asian Games and the Olympics.

This is one reason why veteran shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh will not compete at SEA Games 31. The 45-year-old will instead focus on qualifying for Olympics Tokyo. Another veteran shooter, Tran Quoc Cuong, might also skip the biennial games to be held in Vietnam later this year.

Vinh participated in 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, winning gold at the latter in the 10-meter air pistol and silver in the 50-meter pistol events, becoming the first-ever Vietnamese to win an Olympic gold medal.

The absence of Vinh could cause certain difficulties for the national shooting team on the path to clinching SEA Games gold.

To prepare for 2021, VSF hosted many top tournaments across the country last year to create opportunities for athletes to train and improve, as well as for coaches to assess and evaluate the shooter quality. Throughout national tournaments, key national team shooters proved they remain in great form following good results.