“Doll” trained for 10 years in China and 7 SEA Games gold medals for a lifetime for Vietnamese sports
Editor’s note: At the 22nd SEA Games, the “little angels” of the Gymnastics team opened goods for Vietnamese sports when they brought home the first gold medal. That was also the time, the name “Doll” Ngan Thuong began to be known.
For Do Thi Ngan Thuong, until now it is still an unforgettable memory. Because to have that medal, those 13- and 14-year-old girls had to trade their whole childhood in a foreign land.
After 7 long years of hard training in China, Ngan Thuong and his teammates had to go through many things. Injuries still have to practice; craving a candy, want an ice cream is also not allowed to eat. All for a single goal. That is the SEA Games gold medal.
SWEET FOOD AND WEIGHT FORGET WEIGHT
At the age of 7, Ngan Thuong began to fall in love with gymnastics. With the goal of gymnastics to have achievements at the 22nd SEA Games (2003) at home, in 1996, expert Hoang Vinh Giang decided to invite Chinese coach Dang Vinh An to Vietnam to select athletes from elementary schools. learn. And Ngan Thuong was among the names chosen to go to Guangxi (China) to practice hard.
“Actually, when I was a kid, I didn’t think about being away from my family or working out hard. We just thought, ‘Oh, let’s go out, my parents won’t manage us anymore.’ And I like to play. so I just thought of simply going out. But when I went to China, I felt terrible at home.” Ngan Thuong told us.
“The whole first month, all the sisters cried because they were homesick. I was the youngest on the team, so I cried the most, every day I cried to return. So Ms. Lan (Coach Nguyen Kim Lan – PV) must have psychological action, told me to keep practicing, she would buy a ticket on Tuesday, she would buy a ticket to return home. On that day, when I asked, she said that today due to bad weather, the flight was canceled, so she had to wait. 5. And just like that, I was fooled (laughs).
In return, every week, expert Dang Vinh An spends his own money for all teams to go to the park to play. I remember in the first two years, we went to all the parks in Guangxi.”
It took 6 months for Ngan Thuong to return home for the first time. This schedule then changed to once a year when the athletes got used to the training routine.
“I still vividly remember the first time I went home, as soon as I finished the check-in to board the plane, both you and the students were screaming because they were going to be home soon. Extremely happy.
However, after that 1 week, I had to go to China because the teacher said that if I stayed for too long, the athlete would lose feeling. And if you gain weight, you will have to force it again. That makes me spend more time practicing difficult movements.” Ngan Thuong explained.
According to Ngan Thuong, one of the strictest requirements for gymnasts is to ensure weight. Continuous training sessions with large volume did not make it difficult for Ngan Thuong, because she was originally a child who liked to run, jump and have fun. But eating and putting on weight is another matter.
“Now that I’ve become a coach, I don’t force athletes to get on the treadmill like that anymore. But back in our days, it was different. The Chinese expert concluded that with the human body in East Asia, gymnastics athletes should not be overweight. too heavy, only then can the body bounce.
Our main meals are always full of nutrients, but the teachers are very strict about snacks or sweets. All must abstain from sweets. Candy, cake, ice cream or anything that is sweet, we are not allowed to touch. In return, we can eat fruit freely.
But childish, sometimes still hide her to eat clumsy (laugh). The teacher has experience already. She knows what her athletes eat just by looking. We were arrested many times and also fined. And every time I gain weight, I have to wear a raincoat and run, sauna to squeeze the weight.
At puberty, things get more unpredictable because sometimes you don’t eat anything, just breathe in the air and you will get fat (laughs). So it was hard to force weight. Many times, after taking a sauna, even drinking water must be limited for fear of regaining the original weight after drinking it.” Ngan Thuong recalled.
Ngan Thuong is training for the youth gymnastics team at the Hanoi National Sports Training Center (Nhon).
She continued: “As for training, of course, injuries can’t be avoided. Sprains and fractures can happen. But fortunately in China, the medical conditions are good, there are many very good drugs to cure quickly.
We also have to practice to get used to the feeling of pain. As long as you get to 50% of the exercise, you have to maintain the exercise, not completely rest until the pain is gone. For example, if my arm hurts, I exercise my stomach, back, and legs.”
“GET” GOLD SEA GAMES
After 7 years of hard training in China, the gymnastics team returned to Vietnam to attend the 22nd SEA Games. The coaches did not put pressure on achievements on the shoulders of female athletes who were only 13 or 14 years old, but Ngan Thuong and his teammates thought. other.
“We’re so small, so the teachers don’t put too much emphasis on our psychology. Even on the day we can return to the SEA Games, people are not forced to win a gold medal. The teachers just say that the children have to wait. Please try to do your best. And fortunately, I did not let the management and the fans down.
But actually, I’m “bloody” myself. At SEA Games 21 in Malaysia, Vietnam’s diving team won a silver medal and a friend of mine took it to China. God, I looked at that silver medal and kept cherishing it, wishing that one day I would be happy enough just to win a bronze medal. It’s really like that.”
However, what Ngan Thuong achieved was even better than initial expectations. The 14-year-old female athlete won 2 gold medals in the team and individual crossbar content. And from there, the little girl became known to the public and began to be associated with the nickname “Doll”.
“It’s nice to wear a gold medal around my neck, of course. I love being number one. I remember after I finished the exam, when I got home, everyone would come home to congratulate me a lot, and then the doctors told me to take the medal out. Show me. I have flowers all over my neck, and medals for everyone to try on, take a lot of photos because I still remember laughing so much that my mouth was tired. But it was really a happy feeling.” Ngan Thuong recalled.
DOPING SHOCKET AND HIGHLIGHTS AFTER SEA GAMES 22
After the success at the 22nd SEA Games, Ngan Thuong continued to train in China for 3 years and then moved back to practice entirely in the country.
In the next 2 SEA Games, Ngan Thuong “Doll” brought home 3 more golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze for Vietnam. This impressive achievement has helped Ngan Thuong become the only gymnastics athlete in Southeast Asia to receive a special ticket to attend the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
However, this tournament became a sad milestone in Ngan Thuong’s career. Negligence in using diuretics to reduce stress caused her to be positive for a banned substance when tested for doping.
The chief medical officer of the International Olympic Committee, Arne Ljungqvist, at the time assessed that this was not Ngan Thuong’s intentional fault. However, the “Doll” of Vietnamese sports still had to receive a 1-year ban from playing and missed an appointment with the 2009 SEA Games.
After many years, Ngan Thuong recalled the most difficult time in his career:
“For any athlete, getting that sentence is like going to prison. It’s really shocking, but I personally know it’s all my fault and has nothing to do with anyone. Because I was careless, young Not knowing enough, that’s why it happened.
That time I was mostly at home, not wanting to talk to anyone. Fortunately, everyone understands and sympathizes. The teachers in the coaching staff did not scold at all. But after that, I decided to quit training. Partly because of the shame, partly because I don’t love my job anymore and want to retire.”
Ngan Thuong returned and won 2 gold and 1 silver at SEA Games 26.
She continued: “That day, after I finished practicing, I enrolled in the University of Sports and Physical Education in Tu Son (Bac Ninh). In the past, when people saw me, they might say: “Oh, Ngan Thuong”, but now many people say that : “Oh, Ngan Thuong got doping.” So I was embarrassed when I went to school.
After retiring for a while, I returned to work as a coach. But when I saw everyone practicing, I realized that as long as I could step through that door, there were still many other doors in front of me. So I go back. I think I have to do something to make people remember me not because of the doping case anymore. I want to get up from where I fell.”
And indeed, Ngan Thuong did it. She even did a good job. At SEA Games 26, Ngan Thuong excellently won 2 gold and 1 silver, thereby bringing the total achievement in SEA Games to 7 golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze. A year later, this female athlete also surprised everyone when she won tickets to the London 2012 Olympics, thereby ending her competitive career according to a complete scenario.
“I think maybe God also wants to give me another chance to once again enroll in a big playground like the Olympics. At first I was also a bit shy. Olympic 4 years ago the story happened like that, now I It is impossible to follow that path.
Really, the 2012 London Olympics are not my peak anymore. I also got injured and my movements are not as good as before. But Ms. Nguyen Kim Lan always encourages me. So once again, I can stand on a big stage like the Olympics and then it will be the time to retire without any regrets. God has given me so many things and I will be the one to close the door myself.”
VO THANH
Starting with gymnastics since 1996 when she was 7 years old, Ngan Thuong is still pursuing her passion by taking on the job of coaching young athletes at Nhon Center.
Looking back on a long journey of sticking with gymnastics for the past 26 years, Ngan Thuong “Doll” opens up:
“Apart from having to sacrifice a bit when I don’t have a childhood like my peers, but now I have a good job, work according to my passion, be known by everyone. People who remember me feel very happy, at least that I am living a positive life, living well, every day I see my life is happy.
Although we did not have a childhood playing with dolls with friends, playing childish games, but instead we were trained to be very independent. My parents don’t have to worry about anything for me, just worry about whether their child is injured or not.
Some gymnastics athletes are not in the industry anymore, but they are all very confident and brave, looking for work for themselves, their families do not have to worry about anything. That’s what we have to thank TDDC for. Although I was young, I had a hard time, but in return, I had the courage like now.”
Bank of Commerce concludes: “As for my current small family, I’m lucky that as a husband, I also understand the specifics of my wife’s sports work. My baby Rice is 3 years old this year and also shows a talent for movement. However, I will give it to you. I have many choices, let me experience and choose what I like.
Your child’s interests may change over time, but as long as he likes it now, I’ll let him do it. So is learning. You can study just enough, try to learn foreign languages well, but I won’t force you to study as well as other people’s children (laughs)”.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: Kenh14.Vn – Read the original article here
