HA NOI – Top wrestler Nguyen Thi Lua will appear in four tournaments this year in the hope of gaining a berth at next year's London Olympics.
Lua, 20, who won the country's first Asian Games wrestling medal in 28 years, will take a 40-day training course in Nanning, China next month in preparation for the Asian Wrestling Championship in Uzbekistan in May and the World Championship in Azerbaijan in September.
The top athlete is training with a 20-member squad at the National Sports Centre in Ha Noi.
The Hanoian will compete in the women's 48kg lightweight division, for which she won a silver medal in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China last November.
"I have a tough job this year with a target of qualifying for the London Olympics. However, I must compete successfully at the World and Asian Championships before competing in the Asian Zone Olympic qualifiers," Lua said in a phone interview yesterday.
She said she will face fierce competition when she meets Chinese, Japanese and South Korean wrestlers in the Olympic qualifiers next year.
The national women's team invited two coaches from Georgia to work with the national team.
"I've improved my skills and experience from them (coaches). I hope that my well-trained skills will help me succeed at regional and continental championships this year," she said.
In 2007, Lua rose to prominence after winning two bronze medals at the Asian Junior Wrestling Championships and the World Championships. – VNS
