Vietnamese athlete wins gold medal at Asian Taekwondo Champs

Truong Thi Kim Tuyen (middle) celebrates winning gold medal at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in HCM City on May 26 (Photo: VNA)

 Vietnamese athlete Truong Thi Kim Tuyen won the first gold medal for the country at the 23rd Asian Taekwondo Championship in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tuyen defeated Napaporn Charanawat from Thailand 13-5 in the women’s 46kg category.

Last year, Tuyen beat Napaporn 19-8 in the semi-finals of the World Taekwondo Championships in the Republic of Korea, winning the first world silver medal in Vietnamese taekwondo history.

In addition to Tuyen’s success, Pham Thi Thu Hien also brought home a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg category.

The 23rd Asian Taekwondo Championship was held by the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports and the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation from May 24-28.

The tourney attracted nearly 700 athletes from 50 countries and territories.

Powerhouses such as the Republic of Korea, China’s Taiwan, Iran, China and Thailand sent athletes to the event.

VNA